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Kind Regards
Dr Chris Markwick
Hi
that would be the logical way of doing it,
but NHS Pathways guidance (which NHS111 services follow) says:
CRITICAL UPDATE RE EBOLA ASSESSMENT
Important information for anyone taking calls within an NHS 111 or 999
services.
Please print and circulate copies of this instruction sheet to all
staff handling 999 or 111
calls until further notice.
Background
As the Ebola situation develops, Public Health England has revised the
advice for
patients who may have Ebola.
At present, patients who have relevant symptoms, and travel history
that mean they
are at risk from Ebola, are directed to attend ED.
These patients may travel to ED in a private car HOWEVER they MUST NOT
travel
by public transport (bus, taxi, train) and should avoid direct contact
with the general
public.
Manual Workaround
The following process must take place when advising patients at risk of
Ebola.
When assessing a patient who answers YES to:
a) having travelled to Sierra Leone, Guinea or Liberia
OR
b) having had exposure to a diagnosed Ebola victim
AND you arrive at an ED disposition please use the following
disposition instructions:
If the patient answered yes to either of the Ebola questions AND has
diarrhoea
and/or any vomiting, they MUST NOT travel to ED by public transport
(e.g. train,
bus or taxi).
If travelling by private vehicle, they must avoid contact with general
public.
If private transport is unavailable, upgrade to ambulance transport via
usual local
process.
If patient is travelling by private vehicle, ensure that you contact the
Emergency Department that they have agreed to attend and inform them
that
you have advised a patient to attend who has been assessed as being at
risk from
possible Ebola infection
Countries covered by NHS Pathways assessment
NHS Pathway assesses callers for travel to or from Sierra Leone, Guinea
or Liberia.
While there have been a small number of isolated cases in Nigeria,
Democratic
Republic of Congo and Senegal, Public Health England is clear that
currently there is
no need to extend the NHS Pathways assessment to cover these areas.
Page 2
So, unlike ambulance transport (who'd telephone ahead to advise ETA)
the ED would only know some-one has been told to go to ED - they could
arrive at anytime.
Roger
-----Original Message-----
From: Julian Bradley <[log in to unmask]>
To: GP-UK <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Mon, 13 Oct 2014 12:22
Subject: Re: Ebola
Not entirely sure what the question is, but my understanding is that
the _plan_ is that patients will arrive by ambulance, will be dealt
with by fully suited, booted AND TRAINED staff, and that the
arrangements will avoid widespread departmental contamination (door
handles etc).
I _hope_ that is the kind of thing that was being tested in the
weekend exercise.
Other scenarios may have been subject table top exercises.
BW,
Julian
At 05:08 13/10/2014, you wrote:
emergency department (A&E)
regards
Roger