Now NHS 24 wants patients to diagnose and treat themselves

PATIENTS will be expected to diagnose and treat themselves at home in a bid to ease pressure on Scotland’s nHS this winter.

People suffering from pain, rashes and infections will be told how to deal with the problem themselves, instead of seeing a doctor.

Parents will also be given instructions on how to deal with sick children.

The plan was announced by Scotland’s nHS 111 helpline yesterday, as it prepares for winter.

Launching the move, nHS bosses said it would ‘empower’ patients – insisting it was ‘safe’ and even quicker than using the phoneline.

But critics warned it should not be a ‘sticking plaster’ for an nHS that is struggling to cope.

The move was unveiled at the annual review of nHS 24 yesterday. nHS 24 will launch self-help guides for the ‘most frequent’ health problems patients contact the hotline about over winter, in a bid to take pressure off its 111 helpline, GP surgeries and A&e departments. They include upset stomachs, abdominal pain and fever in children.

The guides will be published on official health advice website nHS Inform from november 18.

nHS 24 associate medical director dr Laura Ryan said: ‘In developing these self-help guides, we picked the most frequent presentations during the winter which people need help self-managing, giving them reassurance.

‘They are a source of safe information to help you know what to do when you have questions about your health.

‘People will be able to learn more about what could be causing their symptoms or get help managing their symptoms. There is a robust self-care statement saying that if something develops, or something continues, you should think about phoning your doctor or phoning 111.

‘The most important thing is people feel empowered and have

‘People feel empowered’

the confidence and knowledge to know what to do if they need information about their health.’

nHS 24 medical director Professor George Crooks said: ‘This focuses on the conditions people contact us about in a way that really makes the information accessible.

‘This is not about putting a barrier between the patient and the health service. It is about making this an accessible route people may wish to try first before phoning 111 or pitching up at their own GP.’

Scottish Tory health spokesman donald Cameron said: ‘There’s no question online information such as this has a role in the nHS. However, it’s a bit much to ask patients to go on a website, then make a phone call to nHS 24, then potentially go to hospital, especially when many people use nHS 24 at night or in an emergency.

‘When people fall ill, they just want human contact, certainty and a quick answer. They’re not going to get that from a website.

‘It’s right that technology has a place, but it can’t be a sticking plaster for a health service struggling to cope financially.’

nHS 24 has already been criticised over the cost of its new IT system, which has soared by 73 per cent to £131million.

The project will not be fully rolled out across Scotland until the end of next year – four years later than originally planned.

Health Secretary Shona Robison said: ‘Clearly there have been some challenges around the introduction. However, real progress has been made.’