An expert rapid response team will be on hand within two hours to help support older people in Rutland to remain well at home and avoid hospital admissions, under new plans outlined by the NHS.

No planned start date for the service has been given but, according to NHS England information, the earliest it will be up and running is next winter.

The Urgent Community Response team will be developed in conjunction with Leicestershire County Council as part of the NHS's Long Term Plan to support England's ageing population and those with complex needs.

Older people and adults in Rutland with complex health issues who have a very urgent care need, including a risk of being hospitalised, will be able to access the response team of skilled professionals within two hours.

The Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland team will be able to provide fast access to a range of qualified professionals who can address both their health and social care needs, including physiotherapy and occupational therapy, medication prescribing and reviews, and help with staying well-fed and hydrated.

A two-day standard will also apply for the team to put in place tailored packages of intermediate care, or reablement services, for individuals in their own homes, with the aim of restoring independence and confidence after a hospital stay.

Rutlanders will be referred by NHS 111 or 999 call operators, GPs and care workers.

The team is one of seven across the country, backed by £14m of investment, to be the first to deliver the new standards for care, working together to standardise how urgent community services will be measured, and delivered consistently across the country, 365 days a year.

The ambition is for at least three of the seven areas to be fully up and running by next winter.

Jon Wilson, Director of Adult and Communities at Leicestershire County Council, said: "We are very excited locally about the opportunity that this investment gives us to bring together NHS and social care services to deliver integrated personalised care for people.

"Our partnership work aims to enable people to return home from hospital as soon as they can and to stay at home avoiding an admission to hospital, wherever possible.

"By providing a single point of access into health and care service for people who may be experiencing a crisis, or require additional care quickly, can vastly improve their outcomes and helps to support their families."