--- Danny McGeehan <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Colleagues
> Do any departments have any robust triage or other
> protocols than I can look at regarding Primary Care
> attedances to A&E. Our numbers are going up at a
> rate of 10% and we are seeing more primary care
> patients attending for one reason or another.
Read Reforming Emergency Care Danny. One of the
streams we are supposed to be directing patients to is
Primary Care! So as I say to our GP's and any patient
that complains that it is now governement policy that
some patients attending A&E will not be seen, but
redirected to their GP. The GP's will try to tell you
that this means we should employ a GP in A&E. I can't
see any justification for this when the patient
already has a Primary Care service funded to deal with
such problems! If you take that to its logical
conclusion then we need to employ someone from each of
the specialties in A&E to see appropriate patients
rather than referring them on! While I can see definte
advantages of having an ENT surgeon, cardiologist,
orthopod etc. employed in A&E to sort out problems of
their speciality the cost would be prohibitive.
>
> Our orthopods are stating that they will no longer
> see what they deem to be inapropiate A&E referrals.
That is trheir choice, but how do they know until they
have seen them? And do they realise that the risk
rests with them?
Our physicians have decided they will no longer take
patients with fractures unless the fracture is
secondary to a medical condition that needs sorting.
So simple falls with pubic ramus fractures in elderly
or patients with Colles fractures admitted because
they live alone and can't cope are being sent to
orthos now! I'm standing back to watch the fireworks!
Cheers Fred.
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