A group of CCGs has introduced an ‘emergency reception point’ at A&E in the hopes of improving levels of care.
Patients in Leicestershire and Rutland will be triaged by a nurse when they arrive at Leicester A&E to ensure they receive the most appropriate treatment.
This could be referral to their own GP, a pharmacist or the Urgent Care Centre, which operated all day, seven days per week.
A group of CCGs has introduced an ‘emergency reception point’ at A&E in the hopes of improving levels of care.
Patients in Leicestershire and Rutland will be triaged by a nurse when they arrive at Leicester A&E to ensure they receive the most appropriate treatment.
This could be referral to their own GP, a pharmacist or the Urgent Care Centre, which operated all day, seven days per week.
If the patient’s condition warrants a visit to the GP an appointment will be made within 24 hours at their own practice. Those who are not registered with a GP will be registered with a practice close to home first.
Dr Nick Pullman, chair of West Leicestershire CCG on behalf of the three clinical commissioning groups representing Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland said:
“We understand how anxious patients have been when they have had to wait for longer than necessary in A&E. We’ve put this system in place so that patients will receive the quality of care they deserve and are entitled to.”
John Adler, chief executive of Leicester’s Hospitals said: “Our current emergency department (ED) is too small. It was designed for about 115,000 patients a year and we are seeing more like 160,000. So, we’re developing a scheme to tackle this by investing in a new ED which is likely to cost about £40 million.
“In the meantime, we know that there has never been more choice for patients and this can be confusing. Instead of expecting patients to decide what is ‘urgent’ and what is an ‘emergency’, we are making it easier by directing all walk-in patients through one new single front door located in the Urgent Care Centre.”
New signs will direct people to the new reception and the doors to the existing A&E will be staffed to make sure that patients are clear about where they should be.
There will be no change to the entry points for children that require treatment. Parents should continue to take their children to either the Urgent Care Centre entrance or children’s A&E as appropriate.
