Hospital concerned people may be putting their health at risk

HOSPITAL bosses fear people could be putting their health at risk by not seeking medical help as GP referrals fall by a staggering 70 per cent.

The George Eliot Hospital said it is a genuine concern that ‘harm’ could be being caused in the community because people are not getting the help they need.

David Eltringham, the Eliot’s managing director, said there has been a ‘significant’ reduction in GP referrals and, in some cases, they have fallen by as much as 70 per cent.

He said this, combined with a previous fall in A&E attendance, could lead to a ‘clinical risk’ in the community.

To help ensure that people are getting care when they need it, he is urging people to get medical help if they need it.

“GP’s can only refer to the hospital if patients attend surgeries and a reluctance to attend any health care facility will have played a significant part in this referral reduction,” he explained in a report.

“Attendances to the Emergency Department have reduced by approx 50 per cent, although they are now starting to rise again.

“This combination of factors does mean that there will be clinical risk held within our communities.

“We are working to understand this and to be able to understand what harm we might see as a result.

“Whilst this analysis is important, it is perhaps more important to continue to make clear the message to our communities that the NHS is open for business and people should access urgent care and primary care where they have concerns for their health.”

He said a balance has to be struck between the hospital being able to cope with the potential second wave of Covid-19 cases, restoring services needed by patients and bracing itself for more people seeking help through A&E and referrals.

It needs to ensure it has enough capacity to cope with all patients.

As previously reported, the Eliot is preparing for a second wave of Covid-19 patients and has plans in place to spring into action within 12 and 24 hours to cope with second surge in cases.

It is also tentatively restoring some services that had to be suspended as a result of the pandemic.

“During the week of 11 May 2020 we restarted Endoscopy and Colonoscopy services and we started to plan to bring patients requiring a wider range of elective or more urgent clinical procedures into the hospital,” Mr Eltringham said in a report to Eliot board members.

“This involves a period of isolation and screening and therefore takes a while to restart.

“We still do not have a plan to restart Trauma and Orthopaedic work which needs to be undertaken in a hyper-clean environment and which must be separated from other surgical specialities.”

He said a new modular ward will play a big role in helping to bring back surgery for patients.

As previously reported, work has started to create the bespoke ward, which should be open by early autumn.