Appeal to public after ‘immense pressure’ on A&E
A Wishaw hospital consultant has pleaded with the public to think twice before attending A&E.
Dr Kenneth Dagg, who began working at the hospital when it opened in 2001, spoke exclusively to the Wishaw Press after NHS Lanarkshire revealed patient numbers have increased by almost 20 per cent in the past year.
The health board are urging people to look at alternative services such as NHS 24, GP out-of-hours and pharmacies before coming to the already stretched A&E.
Dr Dagg said: “It’s a challenge. The issue is the increase in numbers at this hospital and in particular in the emergency department.
“We have had people in A&E telling us they have had symptoms for a number of months and that’s not what the department is for.
“They would be far better served attending at their GP or even a pharmacy.
“That means we would be able to prioritise resources on emergency patients who need immediate care.
“I understand that some patients will have uncertainties but we want to target the right people and these other services are best placed to help others.”
In the past four weeks, Wishaw’s A&E department saw more than 6,000 patients with nearly 140 waiting more than eight hours before being seen by a doctor.
For the week ending August 25, Wishaw’s A&E saw 81.2 per cent of its patients within the four hour limit well short of the 95 per cent target.
The following week, that number rose slightly to 82.5 per cent and went up to 84. 6 per cent in the next seven days.
However, the final week of figures saw 81. 5 per cent of patients being seen in the four hour time frame.
Wishaw was not the worst performing A&E within Lanarkshire with Hairmyres in East Kilbride only reaching 80 per cent one of those weeks.
Dr Dagg added: “We want to deliver the highest quality of care we can.
“If we are unable to do that it causes concern amongst our staff.
“We have procedures in place to help manage the flow of patients as best we can and if there is a heavy flow we can re-direct resources.
“We don’t want to stop people coming to A&E if they are in real need of medical attention.
“However, what we are trying to say is that there are other services out there which would be far quicker and be more beneficial to patients rather than travelling down to hospital.”
Meanwhile, NHS Lanarkshire’s chief executive admits A&E services are under “immense pressure” as waiting times soar.
Calum Campbell spoke out following a significant rise in patient numbers attending at the A&E departments of three acute
Lanarkshire hospitals, including Wishaw.
Mr Campbell said: “It’s as if we are in middle of winter. There are literally hundreds of patients using our emergency services when they could be seeking help via NHS 24 or from their local pharmacy or GP practice.
“If someone has been involved in a serious accident or a victim of an emergency, then go to our A&E services.
“If not, seek treatment from other local services.
“Our staff continue to do an outstanding job 24/7 within very difficult circumstances.
“We are asking the people of Lanarkshire to please consider the most effective way to seek treatment as the answer doesn’t always lie with our emergency services.”
To find out more about the services offered by NHS Lanarkshire visit https://www.nhslanarkshire.scot. nhs.uk/kwttt/