9 patients made 128 trips to A&E in 90 days – 99 times by ambulance
THE same nine patients turned up at North Staffordshire's under-pressure accident unit a staggering 128 times in just three months, new research has revealed.
They called an ambulance for all but 29 of the visits.
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Each attendance at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire A&E department cost the area's NHS £100 – and the expense soared even higher when they called 999 for an ambulance to get them to the unit in Hartshill.
Health officials have now looked into each case and laid on more support for the nine patients so they no longer have to rely on the Potteries emergency care system as often.
The data was unearthed during the biggest-ever investigation into why marathon queues built up at the casualty centre as it struggled to keep pace with demand.
Private audit consultancy ATOS was paid by the West Midlands Strategic Health Authority to find out why such huge numbers were attending A&E.
All summer the information has been used to frame initiatives aimed at finding alternative forms of care for patients and taking pressure off A&E, which sees 100,000 people a year.
They have succeeded in zapping the delays over the past three months when Government targets have been consistently hit. But the ATOS experts are due to return to check enough progress has been made to avoid a repeat of last year's chaotic scenes.
A key objective of the work is to slash the number of patients brought to the unit by ambulance by a total of 8,000 a year, by laying on help for them earlier to avoid the need for emergency care.
That ranges from NHS staff being sent into care homes to make sure the long-standing conditions of residents are stable, to boosting services in health and walk-in centres. Family doctors have been asked to extend their hours and GP sessions are now held at Keele University where the data shows one student a week is going to hospital.
The data is also being used to make sure those patients who need a hospital bed are discharged sooner.
The aim is to reduce beds being blocked to a maximum of 50 a week, compared to the 100-plus last winter.
Hospital chief executive Julia Bridgewater, pictured, said: "We used ATOS to provide us with very detailed information to identify particular problem areas. One of these areas was the identification of nine patients who had visited A&E 128 times in a 12-week period.
"This has enabled staff to understand that some patients attend frequently but not necessarily to the most appropriate area of the hospital.
"A good example is how we now deal with cancer patients, who previously attended through A&E and were then transferred to cancer services. Instead we have created a special area within the cancer centre where patients can go directly to the specialist department without having to go through A&E."
More on the problems experienced at A&E
23 Comments
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by TIM, Stoke
Tuesday, September 01 2009, 7:25PM
“Bet these 9 are from Bentilee?”
by Warren, Meir
Tuesday, September 01 2009, 7:04PM
“Gary Street, how the hell can you crowbar immigation into this one, your a ruddy idiot., As for others points, yes better care for the elderly at hame would help, turning away people who don't need the amout of help the departmant offers is a valid point also. The problem of over reacting parents has always been there and needs to be looked at, but the main problems is the dirty drunks and drug users, steming that problem would help A&Es up and down the land a lot.”
by Anon, Mow Cop
Tuesday, September 01 2009, 6:45PM
“Trying to select out people who "deserve" A&E treatment would be a dangerous step, I do agree that some people turn up with something a GP could treat ot cure itself in a few days (or hours in the case of being drunk). It is the thin end of the wedge to start picking and choosing who deserves emergency treatment. Most companies now insist a person injured at work , no matter how minor is taken to A&E as part of their "duty of care", being a first-aider myself it happens quite often and I have met fellow first-aiders on training courses who relate the same story to me. As a staff nurse told me at the A&E some time ago "we're not fussy, we take everybody". I do on one occasion remember a rather drunk man desperatly trying to chat up a nurse with "thats a nice perfume you're wearing, what's it called" line, a rather stollic reply was forthcoming from the nurse "Eight hour shift". God bless the A&E staff one and all.”
by Woody, Stoke
Tuesday, September 01 2009, 6:16PM
“These statisics are nothing new, it is blantantly obvious that the system is abused and has been for a good few years. With regard to ambulances the implementation of a charging system used in Europe should be considered. The average charge is approx £200 (for a genuine emergency!) This is waived where the hospital admission is a G.P referral, or the person is involved in a motor accident which is not their fault. Otherwise ALL have to pay! There is never headlines over the lack of ambulance transfers causing death in Europe, but what is achieved is a health service that isn't abused, and the ambulance service is not used as a taxi.
One of the main problems with some people that attend the local A+E is that they certainly do not possess any sort of medical emergency or have not been involved in an accident, if they stepped back and thought about whether they actually needed the services of the A+E dept or not, many would realise the answer would be NO!!
Then there are the people that have attended the dept because they are unwilling to wait and see their own G.P.
Or infact those that wish for a bed for the night and something to eat!!
All of which contribute to the ridiculous waiting times in the department for the genuine, and the bad press that the department and staff recieve!”
by Angela, Stoke
Tuesday, September 01 2009, 5:54PM
“Perhaps it is because people in The Potteries are unable to get GP appointments easily! I know people who have to wait 2 weeks for an appointment with their GP's.”
by Phyllis, C/Heath
Tuesday, September 01 2009, 5:26PM
“I fell like most of your readers,,,The stupid idiots who use the 999 service for their own private taxi`s ought to be made to pay, As with any person who go out and get blind drunk cause a fight and come worse off. They should ALL be charged for for their idiotic behavour ,the working class are paying for their stupidity,,,Have they EVER thought that while the 999 staff are on a wild goose chase they might be needed to attend a close member of their family and not able to get to them in time ,or dont they think that way,or do they even think at all,,,,,I think the latter fits dont you ??.”
by Dan, staffs
Tuesday, September 01 2009, 5:00PM
“It's all very simple really....
For some reason people call us thinking we are a fast track service to health care. Well we can get you from A-B quickly but unless it is a real life or death emergency I'm afraid everyone has to wait their turn. Because of this we (ambulance crews) often see patients we have taken in less than an hour ago leaving when we know for a fact there is a massive queue. They discharge themselves KNOWING they will have to wait their turn. However the SAME people will call us later when they think it is a bit quieter rather than calling a taxi.
This is why you are seeing these problems in A/E.
As well as the the NHS is literally a victim of its own success. It is too big to be managed effectively which is why there has been no significant decrease into A/E and wards like officials thought when they introduced polyclinics etc.
Lord Darzi's reports were the catalyst for the number of bed reductions in hospitals because they wanted to shift the emphasis on effective health care to the community with walk in centres and polyclinics, however these are still very much in their infancy and not fully effective. Due to this the same amount of people are trying to access health care via the main hospitals which becomes a burden because the beds have already been cut etc, etc , etc.
A very back to front way of working and a highly unsuccessful one at that!”
by Mark, Burslem
Tuesday, September 01 2009, 4:21PM
“You only have to go up A+E and see some of the people sitting there with minor ailments that do not really require immediate medical attention. We should charge the selfish people that use ambulances when there is no need for one. Whilst they are commiting a crew someone with a life threatening condition will be waiting. We should also charge for people attending hospital with coughs and splutters. A+E is for people requiring urgent medical attention.”
by hadenuff, staffordshire
Tuesday, September 01 2009, 3:48PM
“My mate who is a paramedic told me 1 crew went on a 999 to someone who hadn't turned in for work his boss had called”
by whats up duck, somewhere over the rainbow
Tuesday, September 01 2009, 1:43PM
“Anyone who uses the A & E uneccessarily should be charged, drunken louts who have self inflicted the injuries through excess alcohol intake should be made to pay for treatment. parents who take kids in for a grazed knee when a people should toughen up a bit, take first aid courses and learn how to apply a dressing to a wound. Unneccessary visits to the A & E should be charged. Calling out ambulances for non emergencies should be charged, this is public money being wasted to an outrageous degree and should be stopped immediately.”