Local hospitals under pressure- your support required
22 January 2020
Dear colleagues,
Queen’s Hospital, King George Hospital and Whipps Cross Hospital are currently under extreme pressure, exacerbated by the onset of cold and icy weather.
Our A&E Departments are experiencing additional attendances per day to the usual average attendance. We would therefore appreciate it, if you could support our patients, your NHS colleagues and the local health system by undertaking the following actions:
- Ambulance conveyances are increasing, with patients experiencing long waits. Please consider appropriate alternative care pathway where clinically appropriate
- Referrals to ED must be to a specialist on call team/speciality only
- Please consider HOT clinics and rapid speciality clinics when appropriate
- Advise patients to use their local pharmacy for minor ailments where appropriate and consider use of E consultations
- Prioritise urgent appointments for children
- Ensure patients are being offered hub appointments
- Make sure you are sharing information about extended hours services in your practice
Your help is vital to ensure that those who need emergency care can access it quickly and those who can be cared for elsewhere get the right care for their needs.
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