On Wed, 2 Mar 2005 09:17:35 -0000, dr brian crowley
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> QMC in Nottingham used to be an acute admission
> nightmare - spend ages trying to get through, get cut off, passed from
> pillar to post. I don't know if that situation's improved. Mike?
I'm glad to say that it has. For both adult medical and general
surgical admissions there is now a common number (for both QMC and the
City Hospital) which is run by the ambulance service. They simply take
the patient's details, diagnosis, negotiate which hospital is better,
and send an ambulance if required. The RMO is available for an opinion
but I rarely use this facility.
Although since many of our routine referrals are now being screened,
to determine whether the patient is to be seen by a doctor, a nurse or
the ward orderly, can it be long before we are once again quizzed
about our motives for wanting to admit the patient acutely?
Like the rest of you we get those faxes saying "hospitals now full,
don't send any more in unless you have to" which I ignore, on the
grounds that I wouldn't admit my dog to hospital unless there was no
other reasonable alternative.
--
Michael Leuty
Nottingham, UK
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