Frontline medics’ help plea answered
Pressure is to be eased on front-line medics in NHS Lanarkshire’s over-crowded A&E units.
New guidance will release doctors to deal with real life-saving incidents.
And patients who don’t need emergency care will be redirected quickly to other departments.
The detailed Scottish Government plan is going out to all A&E department teams across the nation.
It comes just days after we revealed how NHS Lanarkshire fared worst of any health board for A&E patients within the set four-hour standard.
Lanarkshire Live highlighted how three out of 10 who attended the board’s three units were not seen within that time.
At University HospitalWishaw during September, 40 per cent of patients had to wait longer than four hours.
NHS Lanarkshire’s other acute hospitals, Monklands and Hairmyres, fared better with the Airdrie infirmary seeing 76.7 per cent within the timescale and the East Kilbride centre 70.7 per cent.
The guidance is part of the Scottish Government’s NHS Recovery Plan, with a £27million investment in “redesign of urgent care’’.
It follows a plea from NHS Boards to ease the strain on emergency units.
Health Secretary HumzaYousaf said:“It is widely recognised that more people could be better seen away from hospital and closer to home by a more appropriate care provider such as a pharmacy or GP practice or indeed, managed with self-care guidance.
“By adopting a consistent approach across Scotland, we can reduce delays in assessment and treatment, prevent overcrowding in emergency departments and release doctors to deliver emergency care to those who really need it.”
With the level of people self-referring to hospital emergency departments returning to pre-COVID levels, hospitals are seeing more patients whose needs can be better met closer to home by local pharmacies or GP practices.
Judith Park, director of acute services for NHS Lanarkshire, said: “We are supportive of the new guidance and are asking people to please keep our A&E departments safe for those who need urgent care.
“If anyone thinks they need to attend A&E but it’s not life-threatening, they should consider the alternatives.
“You can call NHS 24 on 111 day or night, where you will be directed to the right NHS service.
“If you just need health care advice, then please use the NHS Inform website.”
The initiative draws on established good practice in NHSTayside and NHS Grampian.
AndNHSGreaterGlasgowandClyde already has measures in place to support the new approach, which has reduced pressure on its A&E departments.