‘Compelling’ reasons for change
Dr Mickey Jachuck is a Consultant Cardiologist and Clinical Director for Urgent and Emergency Care at South Tyneside District Hospital.
Having worked in the hospital for the past seven years, he is passionate about the future and creating services which support medical education and training.
He has been working with colleagues in Sunderland and South Tyneside to discuss the pressures facing local services and how to create the best possible model of urgent and emergency care for the future across both hospitals.
“We currently see around 150,000 adult emergency attendances across our departments every year.
“Currently, both of our hospitals perform very well against national waiting time standards – a testament to the hard work of the staff – but we know there are many other important measures of quality where we must improve what we do,” Dr Jachuck said.
At the moment both hospitals are not able to provide the consistent access to a specialist medical opinion for emergency patients seven days a week which is a key clinical driver for change.
“There is now widespread evidence which tells us the sooner emergency patients see a senior clinical decision maker, the more likely they are to receive the right diagnosis and treatment sooner – ultimately this means better clinical outcomes for our patients and a better chance of survival and recovery.
“We know that this does not happen consistently in either of our hospitals and our ambition is to work towards consultant-delivered care.”
Another big challenge being faced in emergency care is the gaps currently being faced in the medical workforce, particularly in South Tyneside, which means £11 million a year is spent on temporary staff.
“This is not sustainable, not only from a financial point of view but it also greatly inhibits our inability to make long-term quality improvements,” added Dr Jachuck.
He wants to create a joined-up sustainable model of emergency care across South Tyneside and Sunderland which will not only improve outcomes for patients but also attract more doctors to take up permanent jobs.
The hospital’s ambitions are to function as bigger clinical teams to provide the best emergency care to the population for many years to come, but this can only come from remodelling the current system.
“I am really excited by this, we’ve got a fantastic opportunity to create an excellent model of emergency and urgent care for both of our local populations.
“We want to provide the best outcomes for our patients, the best care but also an excellent working environment to train and develop our staff and attract new doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals to join us.
“This is all about improving hospital services for many years to come.
“There will always be a hospital in South Tyneside and there will always be a hospital in Sunderland, but we need to change and we need to work together.”
How to get involved NHS leaders in South Tyneside and Sunderland want you to get involved to help shape the future of your local services.
To find out more about The Path to Excellence programme, including events, surveys and consultation, you can register with your area below:
Register and find out more in South Tyneside and Sunderland at https://pathtoexcellence.org.uk/sign-upto-my-nhs/
It’s important that you provide your feedback during Phase Two of the Path to Excellence programme and share your views and ideas about how to improve NHS services locally.
You can also visit the Path to Excellence website (https://pathtoexcellence.org. uk/) for up-to-date information, links to surveys and upcoming events.