New services aim to support A&E department

Talks are taking place about the possible development of GP-led services at Dewsbury and District Hospital.
Dewsbury and district Hospital tour.Dewsbury and district Hospital tour.
Dewsbury and district Hospital tour.

Talks are taking place about the possible development of GP-led services at Dewsbury and District Hospital.

The walk-in services would run alongside the hospital’s A&E department.

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No detailed plans have been drawn up yet, but it is expected the services would be open beyond normal GP surgery hours.

North Kirklees Clinical Commissioning Group chairman Dr David Kelly said: “For various reasons many people who need to see a GP often attend A&E.

“We are working on ways to improve access into primary care in practices with regard to same day and extended hours appointments. This should greatly reduce the need for people to attend A&E, making GP practices the first port of call.”

But he said past attempts to get people to go to their GP rather than hospital had not always proved effective.

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“If people are telling us that the hospital can be the most convenient place for them to see a GP then it makes sense for us also to look at options around providing primary care facilities there,” he said.

Meanwhile, a pilot of an ambulatory emergency care unit was due to begin at the hospital yesterday (Thursday).

The unit, run by the Mid Yorkshire Hospital Trust, will care for medical patients who need a quick diagnosis and treatment but do no need to be admitted.

Most patients will be referred from their GP or by the A&E department.

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The Trust hopes the unit, staffed by specialist doctors and nurses, will relieve pressure on the department and allow it to focus on more seriously ill patients.

A similar unit has been running at Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield for several weeks.

Dr Dinesh Nagi, clinical director of the division of medicine, said: “This unit will ensure patients in North Kirklees get the right care, in the right place, at the right time.

“The Pinderfields unit has been running successfully so far and the feedback we have received from patients has been extremely positive.”