PP38 The impact of a high intensity user programme for frequent callers to the Northern Ireland ambulance service

<h3>Background</h3> The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) receives over 20,000 emergency calls per year from a cohort of service users who seek assistance on a frequent basis. The NIAS Complex Case Team (CCT) seeks to address the needs of these Frequent Callers (FC) and the subsequent impact on service provision. A FC is someone who calls five times in one month, or 12 times in three months. Since 2017, over 1800 people across Northern Ireland (NI) have met the criteria. In 2022, funding was secured from NHS Charities for a 15-month project conducted in collaboration with the British Red Cross (BRC). <h3>Methods</h3> The BRC project team consisted of one manager and three keyworkers who engaged with 48 FC in the Belfast and South Eastern Trust areas. They delivered a High Intensity User (HIU) programme, which was a bespoke service offering support to those with complex needs in the community. This is a first of its kind in NI for this cohort of service users. <h3>Results</h3> There was an overall reduction in emergency calls made by the cohort from 1242 calls to 557, a decrease of 55.2%. Ambulance resources dispatched decreased from 443 to 148 (66.6%). Fewer FC were transported to an Emergency Department (ED) with numbers falling from 208 to 81, a reduction of 61%. At the end of the project the Net Cost &amp; Improvement Savings per annum (for 48 individuals) was estimated at £1.94 million. <h3>Conclusions</h3> The BRC HIU programme took a person-centred approach to dealing with FC in NI, complimenting the ongoing work of the CCT. Through positive interaction with both service users and colleagues in partner agencies, an ethos of wraparound care was promoted. There was a reduced demand on both NIAS and the wider system in a time when it is needed more than ever.