A new facility which will help reduce numbers of patients waiting unnecessarily in a busy Emergency Department has just opened its doors at the James Paget.
The new ‘GP streaming’ unit will provide care for patients who attend A&E and are assessed as not needing hospital treatment but need care instead from a general practitioner.
A streaming service has been in operation at the JPUH since last autumn, and has seen more than 6,700 patients since then.
On average, around 40 patients per day have been directed to the service, so that they can receive appropriate treatment without having to wait to be seen by busy Emergency Department staff.
The success of the service has resulted in the Trust creating a standalone GP streaming unit, which is located at the front of the hospital near the Louise Hamilton Centre.
JPUH Interim Chief Operating Officer Nigel Kee said: “Since it came on line, the streaming service has been invaluable in helping patients who genuinely believe they need to come to hospital but, on arrival, are clinically assessed as being more suitable for GP care.
“The service has allowed us to ‘divert’ these patients direct to a GP based within the Emergency Department, saving time for both the patient and Emergency Department staff.
“By creating the standalone unit, it means we can not only expand the streaming service but also move it out of the Emergency Department, freeing up space for patients who need hospital treatment.”
The Trust has worked with North Norfolk Primary Care (NNPC) - a GP provider organisation delivering a range of clinical services across the county - to provide the GP streaming service.
“The move into the new premises is exciting and will open possibilities for further collaborative working,” said Aiden Rice, NNPC’s Clinical Operations Manager.
“However, it is important to emphasise that the new unit is only for patients who have attended JPUH’s Emergency Department with a condition they believe is a genuine emergency and are subsequently ‘streamed’ by the ED and Primary Care team for further care. The unit is not open as a walk-in facility for the general public.”
NNPC staff supporting the service include a Clinical Operations Manager, a team of permanent service receptionists as well as a Clinical Quality and Governance lead and Health and Safety personnel.
The Trust has invested more than £900,000 into the unit, which was created within the space of just 13 weeks, with the foundations excavated on 16 February. The building units, constructed by Elliotts Modular Build, were put in place at the end of March with final works completed on 20 May.
People should only attend the hospital’s Emergency Department if it is a genuine emergency; if you are unsure what to do, you can call NHS 111 and they can direct you to the most appropriate place and even book you a time slot with another health service or the Emergency Department if necessary.
For more information about where to access health and care services, including helpful advice, please visit: www.springintohealth.co.uk
