3 in 4 patients are refusing appointments
PATIENTS are being urged to go back to Newcastle’s hospitals despite Covid-19 fears - with three in four currently refusing to attend appointments.
City councillors heard on Thursday health bosses were “very concerned” most people were still reluctant to go into a hospital in case they are exposed to coronavirus, meaning people were missing necessary medical appointments.
From yesteday all hospital visitors will be required to wear face coverings, while staff will be wearing surgical face masks, and it is hoped that change will make people feel safer.
Caroline Docking, communications director for the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals (NUTH) NHS Foundation Trust, told Newcastle City Council’s health scrutiny committee: “We continue to be very concerned that people don’t seem to want to come back to hospital.
“At the moment we are doing a lot of work ringing people to encourage them to come to out-patient appointments.
“For every four people we ring, we are only managing to get one to come to their appointment - that is for people who cannot have telephone or video appointments, they are people we need to see.
“We are very much hoping changes to face coverings and face masks will make people more confident about coming into hospital.”
Ms Docking said it seems to make “no difference” whether people are asked to go to the Freeman Hospital or the Royal Victoria Infimary but she was unaware of any confirmed cases of hospital visitors who have subsequently tested positive for Covid because of that contact.
She added: “People are scared of going to Tesco so I am sure they are scared about going to a hospital but we need to change the way we do things to make sure people feel more comfortable.”
The city’s hospitals have admitted 523 confirmed Covid patients and recorded 115 deaths.
In response to a question from
Blakelaw councillor Oskar Avery, Ms Docking confirmed there had been no deaths among current Newcastle hospital staff and said staff absence levels were only three to four per cent above normal, when taking into account those shielding and selfisolating as well as those who are actually ill with coronavirus.
She also said all black, Asian and minority ethnic staff had been given individual risk assessments, given the proven increased risks Covid-19 poses to BAME communities.