One third of A&E hospital patients 'do not need to be there', says NHS boss
MORE than 20,000 people a year seek treatment at Lincoln's A&E department unnecessarily, according to an NHS boss.
Attendances at the city's A&E department have risen year on year.
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Lincoln County Hospital's A&E entrance.
And as a result, Government targets dictating 98 per cent of patients should be treated within four hours have been missed.
The growing numbers have prompted the head of operations at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust, Roger Long, to make a bid to NHS Lincolnshire to fund a "streaming" system at A&E department in Lincoln and Boston.
The proposal would see locum GPs based at A&E and patients asked at the department's reception desk whether their condition could be treated by a GP.
If the answer is "yes", they would then be redirected to see the locum GP, freeing up A&E staff to treat emergencies.
The system has already been introduced after 6pm on weekdays and throughout the weekend at Grantham And District Hospital, so more patients can be treated within the Government's target time of four hours.
Mr Long said: "We are seeing if we can stream individuals initially during out-of-hours times and then in-hours because we have a lot of patients who could be seen in a different setting.
"And, ideally, we would have this model in Lincoln and Boston around the clock."
The trust's newly published annual report for 2009/10 revealed 62,878 people attended A&E at Lincoln County Hospital during the financial year.
Mr Long said: "One third of patients coming to A&E don't need to be there. A&E is, by its nature, accident and emergency and a large proportion of patients could go to alternative primary care providers such as the out-of-hours service."
Mr Long said that although Lincoln's walk-in centre in Monks Road had proven hugely popular, it was not reducing the number of unnecessary visits to A&E.
In fact, there were 3.1 per cent more visits to A&E last month than the previous June, a month after the walk-in centre opened.
Hospitals trust chairman Paul Richardson said busy periods in A&E used to be restricted to the winter months, when seasonal flu caused an influx of patients.
He said: "It used to be winter pressures, but we got out of winter ages ago."
22 Comments
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by Emma, Lincoln
Thursday, July 29 2010, 7:57PM
“Lynn, please don't try to censor me. I abhor such comments. Respect.”
by lynn, lincoln
Thursday, July 29 2010, 7:29PM
“Emma, please don't take the Lord's name in vain, I abhor such comments. Respect.”
by Emma, Lincoln
Thursday, July 29 2010, 2:22AM
“Oh dear. My little stalker troll turns up again, runs its mouth off again and fails. Again.
Tell me, how can someone who has no qualms about letting the unintelligent, dribbling hordes on this website know exactly what I think of their moronic opinions be accused of 'back bitting'?
Precisely. They can't.
Go troll someone else, you reject.”
by Gnome Chomsky, A&E
Thursday, July 29 2010, 12:22AM
“Lynn, if they'd said "apply a cold compress", would your opinion be the same? You took a risk (uninsured?) and fell back on the NHS. You waited a while, based on their triage system, and had no complaint with that.
A person on a phone cannot see your injury, only work on your description. You went to A&E because they were concerned. A&E weren't, when they saw it. Are you a big baby? Medics aren't, but get some stupid calls from the public.”
by avin a laugh at you....., lincs
Wednesday, July 28 2010, 9:50PM
“HA HA emes like whot you said but YOU are the worst offender on here for back bitting at people .LiKE THE OTHER mouth piece missuurri martin and other twit will the shirer”
by Emma, Lincoln
Wednesday, July 28 2010, 5:40PM
“"My point being, NHS direct are a complete waste of money."
Yes, obviously. Never mind the countless occasions where they have been able to help people directly, they once advised you to go to A&E and therefore they must be rubbish.
Jesus wept.”
by lynn, lincoln
Wednesday, July 28 2010, 4:34PM
“A few years' ago I arrived home from Singapore, I had been bitten by an insect whilst there. My leg swelled up alarmingly, from the ankle upwards it was gradually creeping higher and higher, I rang NHS direct who told me to get to A & E as soon as possible.
I had to wait six and a half hours before I was seen, the reason being there had been a really bad collision in Lincoln. I didn't mind the wait as someone was obviously in more need of medical attention than me.
My point being, NHS direct are a complete waste of money.”
by Emma, Lincoln
Wednesday, July 28 2010, 4:22PM
“How nice it is to read a friendly debate on here, I get fed up of people using this space to verbally abuse each other :-)”
by John, Lincoln
Wednesday, July 28 2010, 3:53PM
“Very noble, normally ends up in personal abuse from some people. I can see your frustrations though with provision of some services on the NHS for people in certain scenarios who do not deserve it.”
by Northern Outsider, Lincoln
Wednesday, July 28 2010, 3:32PM
“John - This is an unwinnable argument. You are right that there are too many differing circumstances to produce a fair charging, or even treatment criteria, so I humbly concede defeat.”