WE MUST HAVE A LOCAL EMERGENCY CENTRE AT OUR HOSPITAL

Since the downgrading of our hospital in September 2000 any emergency patient going to the minor injuries unit (MIU), if a medical opinion is required, has to travel to the A&E department at Worcester.

Many patients taken to Worcester do not need admission to hospital and then have to find their own way home. A taxi can cost up to £47.00.

A well known health services consultant writing in the British Medical Journal summarises the situation accurately after the "Kidderminster debacle", "If the price of moving the complex emergency to an appropriate centre of expertise is that the patient is accompanied by another nine or 10 patients who are not complex acute cases then another set of problems is launched."

As we all know these problems include: -

• Stress, inconvenience and expense for patients and their families.
• Unnecessary use of the ambulance service causing avoidable expense and possible lack of a nearby vehicle for major emergencies.
• Wasteful use of staff and facilities at the Worcester A&E department.
• Delays for the severely injured and ill.

THE ANSWER IS OBVIOUS

The Primary Care Trust (PCT) recognises the problems and is looking into ways of alleviating them using existing staff in new ways, for example highly trained and skilled nurses and paramedics taking on greater responsibility.

However these alone do not address patients' major concerns and desires which are to be seen by a doctor when taken to our hospital so that a decision can be taken whether transfer to Worcester is necessary or not. 
The Government has stated that a core patient principle is to develop options for change with people not for them and that a local hospital working in partnership with its larger neighbour should provide as a minimum a 'first port of call', that is, a service able to receive emergency patients and provide assessment, initial treatment and transfer where necessary.

With the amalgamation of the MIU and the Primary Care Centre (PCC) in the new Treatment Centre here, the ideal situation for the reception of a wider range of emergencies has arisen, as a doctor is necessary to cover the PCC. It will be necessary also to provide medical cover during working hours when the PCC at least initially will not be staffed. General Practitioners may not be able to take on extra work that is not included in their new contract. The increased elective surgery to be carried out in the centre will require additional medical cover so, with the will, it should be possible to provide the medical cover required for a local emergency centre.

We must all take every opportunity to make our views known to local doctors, PCT directors and members of the new patient forums.