The message <000a01c153ee$f1a181e0$194b063e@dads>
from rmcglone <[log in to unmask]> contains these words:
> I'm not sure whether I've raised this topic before.
> Between 15 -20 % of our patients in A&E Lancaster / Kendal are tourists =
> to the area. If they are unfortunate enough to attend with a fracture =
> the A&E nursing staff usually attempt to book an appointment in the =
> fracture clinic in the hospital from their home area for follow-up.
Edgware has *no* Fracture Clinics so *all* our patients with fractures
need appointments elsewhere, depending on the catchment area of their
residence.
> When we phone the A&E department we are not always successful in getting =
> an appointment over the phone. Some departments refuse to give an =
> appointment over the phone.
We have the same problem with one of the hospitals we feed. The other
two accept fracture clinic bookings from our receptionists.
> The patients then have to wait in their =
> local A&E department. If they are lucky they are sorted out with a =
> Fracture Clinic Appointment at Triage, otherwise they have to wait to =
> see a doctor!
> We send a photocopy of the A&E and X rays with the patient. However, =
> even this isn't always done by other A&E departments.
We also give the patient their notes and X-rays...
> Perhaps it's time we had a patient's charter for tourists.=20
> Could the BAEM Handbook not have a telephone number for each A&E =
> department as a contact point for making follow up appointments?
and can these departments be instructed to accept these phone bookings
from minor injury units too, please, pretty please?
The only way I can get an urgent fracture clinic appointment for some of
my patients is to spend ages on the phone trying to get the orthopaedic
SHO/Reg on-call to sanction it. If the clerical/nursing staff could do
this, I could get on and see the next patient....
--
Helen D. Vecht: [log in to unmask]
Edgware.
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