Almost 300 patients avoid A&E in Cork and Kerry through 'virtual care' initiative
Professor Conor Deasy, Clinical Director of Emergency and Acute Care, CUH, with Dr Isweri Pillay. The Urgent Virtual Care (UVC) is a new HSE service which allows GPs and Paramedics to consult directly by phone or by video call with a senior medical decision-maker in Emergency Medicine or Geriatric Medicine. Pic: Jim Coughlan.
Almost 300 sick people received emergency treatment last month without needing to go to A&E thanks to a new HSE programme run in Cork and Kerry.
Up to now a GP or paramedic treating someone in crisis might have felt sending the patient to an ED was the only option. Instead this HSE South West Urgent Virtual Care programme allows them to work with hospital doctors to help patients avoid often busy emergency departments.
They can get immediate feedback from Cork University Hospital’s emergency medicine or geriatric medicine departments through phone or video calls.
Since November 4, more than 410 referrals have been made. Some 69% were deemed suitable for treatment without attending the ED - a total of 280 people.
In some cases calls were made from the patient’s home meaning they did not have to travel anywhere.
The phone lines are manned by CUH consultants and support staff. They take referrals from across both counties, but only from GPs and paramedics, not directly from patients.
Southdoc chairwoman Dr Audrey Russell welcomed the service.
“We know that the Emergency Department may not always be suitable for our patients' needs but is often the only resource left to us,” the Macroom GP said.
“(this system) provides us with the opportunity to discuss the best and most appropriate care options for our patients. It helps to identify alternate pathways for those patients that don't require emergency care."
It also has benefits for EDs in the two counties, which are already seeing an increase in patients due to the impact of the cold weather including flu and falls.
Professor Conor Deasy, Clinical Director of Emergency and Acute Care, CUH described the service as an addition to existing systems.
“We are committed to improving patient experience and we aim to ensure patients get the right care, by the right clinicians, at the right time,” he said.
The new service gives GPs and paramedics more direct access to other ways to get people into hospitals or community services instead of only through the ED, he explained.
“Often this can result in the patient not needing to come to the Emergency Department,” he added.
Geriatrician Mike O’ Connor, also CUH, agreed with this - saying at times the ED is just not the best option for a patient.
“GPs and Paramedics can speak directly with an expert from emergency medicine or geriatrics medicine to help navigate patients to the best, most direct care pathway, to meet their clinical need,” he said.
There are now a range of options, he added.
These could include getting advice on the phone call, links to local services, boosting care into the person’s home or nursing home and making hospital appointments for them.
Up to now, the programme has been available Monday to Friday only.
However this trial has been so successful, the HSE will look at extending this, according to Priscilla Lynch, HSE Integrated Healthcare Area Manager.
