A&E to introduce appointments
PEOPLE with non-life threatening conditions are to be asked to make an appointment ahead of attending Accident & Emergency units in Wales, the Health Minister has said.
Vaughan Gething said people will be asked to phone first before attending as emergency services are remodelled to respond to coronavirus.
The “phone-first” triage system, which will be trialled at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board from next month, will direct people to a service for their condition or injury.
Those suffering life-threatening emergencies such as symptoms of a stroke, loss of breathing or a suspected heart attack should still call 999. The NHS has had to adapt quickly to respond to the pandemic, while keeping staff and patients safe and continuing to deliver the urgent and emergency care services people need,” Mr Gething said.
“We have looked very closely at how people access urgent and emergency care services, in response to the risks and restrictions the pandemic has brought.
“Lockdown saw a sharp reduction in attendances at emergency departments, and a large increase in people accessing
INDOOR play areas were among the first places to close down in March when the coronavirus pandemic was first taking hold in the UK.
Venues usually full of children now stand eerily quiet.
Business-owners in the industry believe they are capable of putting the right safety measures in place to protect their customers from coronavirus, and to prevent their businesses from going bust.
Mike Jones owns two play centres – Funtastic Kids Play in Caerphilly, and Dragons Den Soft Play in Aberdare.
The huge centre in Caerphilly covers an area of over 10,000 sq ft. The giant climbing play frame, usually packed with children, remains empty.
Mike said: “It is a stressful time. We just want to know when we can reopen, if that is October or even January, we just need to know so we can plan as a business.”
The financial burden facing businesses like Mike’s is mounting. He points out that the sector was one of the first to close, but it is increasingly looking as if it will be the last to reopen, with fears many centres won’t return at all.
Mike has paid over £50,000 in rent and management for both industrial-size units since April, as they pay three months in advance.
This means Mike has paid for the spaces up until October, with no idea as to whether children will be able to return before then.
On top of that, he is now worried about the financial impact of the changes to furlough.
“In August we will start paying the national insurance and pension again, which support and advice remotely via NHS 111 and online services.
“As attendances begin to return to more normal levels, these changes in how people have been accessing services over recent weeks is something leading clinicians say must be maintained.”
The Welsh Government said evidence suggests a proportion of people who come to an emergency department do not require the expert care provided by healthcare professionals there.
In the past month, as emergency departments have returned to a normal range of activity, some health boards isn’t much, but when you have no income and no date for reopening, it is worrying,” said Mike, who has owned play centres for almost 10 years.
He said the predicted cost to keep his 24 staff members on furlough between August and October is £13,000. That is before he takes into consideration extra costs expected to come in September, which will see business-owners expected to top up their staff’s wages.
“We don’t even know if we can open, we have been asking questions, I have sent questions to so many politicians,” explained Mike.
Mike opened the centre in Aberdare nine years ago and the one in Caerphilly around five years ago.
As well as the costs of keeping the buildings and future costs of staff, the business has lost out massively on customers from the closure. have reported people queuing outside units as a result of reduced space inside due to social distancing.
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board’s “CAV 24/7 phone service” will direct people to “the right advice or treatment in the right place”, the Welsh Government said.
This could mean they are encouraged to self-care, be alerted to a service in their community, or be directly booked in for a personal appointment in an urgent care centre or emergency department.
“People with life-threatening or serious conditions should continue to access services in the usual way but, with new
“We have given £12,000 back in deposits for parties that have been unable to go ahead. And obviously it is not the customers’ fault, so that is fine, but it is a lot of money to lose out on.
“I am hoping it won’t come to closing, but you don’t know.”
He explained that, like many companies, he has taken out a business loan, but so far hasn’t used it and hopes it won’t have to come to that.
“How far do you get in debt? I am praying I won’t have to use it [the loan]. If we went down that route, anything we make next year will be used to pay off the debts from this year.”
Looking to the future of the play area, Mike believes they are able to put the right safety procedures in place to ensure children and adults are safe.
“The thing is, indoor play areas can be more hygienic physical distance measures in place, we need to better manage people with less severe conditions in their local communities or schedule urgent appointments to avoid overcrowding and queuing outside departments,” Mr Gething added.
“We do not want to see large families or large groups of people congregating in departments, so we can protect people who are at risk, vulnerable or have been shielding, but we also recognise the need to ensure people get the right service for their needs.
“This can often be delivered in the community.”
A similar system is in operation than outdoor ones if they are managed appropriately. They talk about the virus existing on metal surfaces for longer – will parents clean the slide in an outdoor park before they use it? In our case, we have systems in place.”
The business has looked into the installation of a “fog” system, which Mike said is similar to one they use in Cardiff Airport.
“It will get fogged every morning and it kills all bacteria and viruses on the surfaces of the play frame.
“Then there are other procedures, like taking temperatures on entrance, personal details will be kept so we can contact people.
“I think we can socially distance the parents. The children were always my concern. The idea is for them to go and play and explore in the play centre, you just let them loose. But in most cases you have people visit the centre in Denmark, where all but the most ill patients must ring ahead and make an appointment at an A&E unit.
Meanwhile, playgrounds, outdoor gyms and funfairs were allowed to reopen in Wales on Monday.
But some attractions like Oakwood Theme Park, Pembrokeshire, has confirmed some rides will stay closed, admission will be on an advanced ticketing basis and there will be limited opening hours.
Community centres are now also able to reopen to allow some childcare schemes to operate again.
Teacher fears return to classroom: Pages 10&11 with children from their class or friends and family. They are likely to be mingling anyway.
“If they told us it was January reopening, that would be fine, we just need something to prepare and plan for.”
Mike tunes into the Welsh Government press conference every day, eager to learn if there will be an update for the industry, but is left increasingly disappointed.
“There’s so many dates coming up for industries, and it’s not even a consideration.”
BALPPA, the British leisure parks, piers and attractions association, has warned that the indoor play industry faces extinction.
It claims that over 20 of its 400 members have gone out of business and a survey it conducted found that nearly two-thirds of the remaining centres will be forced to close permanently by October.