Quote:
Originally Posted by Matthew
On the A&E situation the reason they are so busy is misuse by joe public. Many people do not need to attend. GP surgeries need to look at putting on more GP sessions and the majority of people can be seen there or with a walk in/minor injuries unit.
The ambulance service is stretched and needs serious funding that is the biggest problem with that there are just not the crews needed.
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---------- Post added at 09:42 ---------- Previous post was at 09:30 ----------
From what I've read/heard, including from Ambulance Service staff, many of the problems come not from a shortage of ambulances and personnel but those resources being held up in A&E depts. because they can't offload their patients and move onto the next call. Something needs to be done to take the pressure off A&E, and filter out those who don't really need to be there. Our local A&E screens people so that the more serious cases stay in A&E whilst others are directed to on site nurses and GPs. It works well but I have no idea how widespread that system is - it seems like common sense to me.
Another part of the problem is bed blocking by older people who in many cases cannot be discharged because there are no other services available to them at the time. Some, maybe a lot, of that will be down to cuts in community based services but there's no doubt in my mind that some is down to those elderly people being intentionally 'invisible' to the system.
I have personal experience of several elderly people who refuse to seek help at home. They don't want strangers coming into their homes and will do almost anything to avoid it, including lying to medical staff about their situation. They refuse to ask for/accept outside help, choosing instead to rely on A&E on an ad-hoc basis. They are not in the 'system' and if the worst happens and they can't cope, it'll be a trip to A&E and a hospital bed blocked because nothing else has been put in place for them. I dare say there are a great many such people who're in the same situation but nobody can force them to accept help.