Single Point of Access (SPA) – Warrington

General introduction

The nurse‑led SPA service coordinates urgent referrals for patients with unscheduled care needs, using best‑practice guidance and triage skills to ensure Warrington patients receive an excellent experience supported by safe and effective clinical care pathways.

Providing the right care in the right place at the right time.

The SPA service model has six key components:

• access
• assessment
• signposting
• treatment
• self‑management
• planning

SPA services ensure that patients are kept informed at each step and given a point of contact for any questions or concerns.

Ongoing support and information help patients remain in control of their own care pathway.

The SPA service updates the clinical referrer with the outcome and continues to inform the GP practice and other supporting community teams of all relevant developments linked to the referral.

SPA services ensure that patients receive the treatment most appropriate for their needs, avoiding a hospital admission wherever possible.