18.07.13
10 priorities for ‘unsustainable’ urgent care
The quality of urgent and emergency care must be addressed, four NHS organisations have warned. A new report, setting out ten priorities for action, was developed through two multidisciplinary conferences.
The Royal College of Physicians, NHS Confederation, Society for Acute Medicine and the College of Emergency Medicine highlight the need to manage rising demand and to focus more on preventative care and public health.
The priorities include developing effective and simplified alternatives to hospital admission, adjusting financial incentives, moving to consultant-led services seven days a week, greater collaboration, ensuring sufficient capacity across both emergency units and the wider system, and the development of a sustainable workforce.
Sir Richard Thompson, president of the RCP, said: “Unless some of these actions are carried out quickly, the quality of NHS care will fall.”
Dr Johnny Marshall, GP and NHS Confederation director of policy, added: “The current situation in urgent and emergency care is unsustainable. But we know that pressures in the emergency department are really an indication of the whole health service being under pressure.
“It is essential that we take decisive action – and quickly – to address these pressures, if the NHS is to continue to provide comprehensive high quality healthcare when people need it. It's as simple and serious as that.
“As doctors, we know that we need to strive not just for symptom relief but to address the underlying causes.”
Dr Chris Roseveare, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “The recent pressures on acute services within the NHS have been unprecedented. Urgent action is required if we are going to prevent a further deterioration in the quality of care for patients admitted to hospital in an emergency.
“Collaboration by clinicians across traditional boundaries will be a vital part of the solution. Clinicians must continue to work closely with managers, patient representatives and politicians and ensure that these actions are implemented urgently, before the demands inevitably rise again next winter.”
Dr Clifford Mann, president of the College of Emergency Medicine, said: “These 10 'calls to action' are the product of a wide consensus and I would urge all those engaged in commissioning and providing acute care to use them as a template for their service plans.”
For more from Dr Roseveare, see the July/Aug edition of National Health Executive.
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