REACH
The REACH Toolkit provides information, resources and quality improvement (QI) tools for managers and clinicians to improve patient, carer and family recognition and escalation of clinical deterioration in NSW health services.
The resources can be adapted to suit local needs including initial program implementation, to review and improve current practices, or to support current practice.
The CEC REACH program is a system that helps patients, carers and families to escalate their concerns with staff about worrying changes in a patient's mental state or physical condition in any ward, unit or setting.
REACH stands for:
- Recognise
- Engage
- Act
- Call
- Help is on its way
REACH actively promotes partnership with the treating team to recognise and escalate deterioration. It casts the safety net wider by empowering consumers (patients, carers and families) to 'speak up for safety' and provides assurance that help is on its way.
REACH encourages patients, carers and families to initially engage with their nurse, midwife, mental health clinical or medical team if they are concerned that 'something is not right'. If they continue to be worried about their loved one's condition, they can escalate concerns by requesting a 'Clinical Review' and this should occur within 30 minutes. If they are still concerned, the patient, carer or family can activate an independent review or emergency response by calling a unique number made available by the facility.
REACH can be adapted to local conditions and should be designed to include concern about mental state and physical deterioration. Further information can be found on the REACH webpage.
To join the REACH Quality Improvement Community of Practice (hosted via the Quality Improvement Data System - QIDS) the project team must first complete the online registration form. Following this, the CEC will add the project team to the REACH Toolkit Improvement Project in QIDS.
Via QIDS, project teams will be able to:
- Access additional resources and QI tools, including REACH specific examples
- Manage their own improvement project
- Collaborate with other teams undertaking REACH improvement.
The 
icon is used throughout the toolkit to indicate when and how to use QIDS for your improvement project. To help differentiate
 | Refers to the CEC Team – the REACH resources and examples referred to in the toolkit and more can be found via the leading team page. |
 | Refers to your REACH project. |