Doctor’s Surgeries Need Radical Re-Organisation Says Veteran Children’s Charity

Action for Sick Children Call For Action Following Publication Of Results From Their Nation-wide First Contact Survey
 
WINSFORD, U.K. - June 19, 2013 - PRLog -- A radical re-organisation of the way doctors’ surgeries are operated is being called for by the charity Action for Sick Children following their nation-wide ‘first contact’ survey of the experiences of parents, carers and guardians seeking medical help when a child is unwell.

Health Visitors, Community Nurses, Children’s Nurses and even school nurses could be drafted in to support GPs Surgeries – and Accident and Emergency units - in areas where they were overwhelmed, said Alistair Macdonald, chairman of the 52 year old Stockport-based charity’s survey committee yesterday.

“Some bits of the NHS are under utilised and we could use these resources in areas that are undoubtedly under extreme pressure,” added Mr Macdonald, speaking to an audience that included health service professionals and politicians, at the launch of the Action for Sick Children Survey Report at the House of Commons.

“Although GPs are almost always the first choice of parents, their surgeries, like the A& E departments, are under intense pressure. However our survey has shown that not all those attending want treatment. Sixty seven per cent want advice for treating their child’s condition at home.

“A further 65 per cent were looking for a diagnosis and sixty per cent wanted nothing more than general reassurance. These are areas that could be more than adequately handled by nursing professionals like Health Visitors and Community Nurses.”

Mr Macdonald said the survey underlined the fact that GPs were the most frequently used, most understood and most trusted source of advice for parents and carers who were driven by perceived expertise, competency and professional skill.

“Naturally, that is where they want their health care centred,” he added.”However, parents and carers had other suggestions. They want to make it easier to contact their family doctor by telephone and bring an end to the 8.30 am appointments lottery system of phoning-in which offers no guarantee of a same day appointment.

“Of course many would like to see extended opening hours, others would welcome more drop-in clinics locally, free first aid classes for new parents and more paediatric specialists.”

However, Mr Macdonald said that Triage nurses could provide a vital service for those surgeries that were under extreme pressure. By evaluating a patient’s medical needs – via telephone or face to face – they could direct patients to the most appropriate member of the medical team thus reducing pressure on GPs.”

Mr McDonald added:”We’ve had health service reports out almost every day for the past month. In the main they are medical professionals telling us what we need to do. However, the Action for Sick Children survey is different. We are hearing the views of the end-user,  the patient.”

A copy of the survey report can be downloaded by clicking onto the Action for Sick Children website at: www.actionforsickchildren.org  

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