Press release
Patients asked to care about the cost
Unnecessary visits to Accident and Emergency departments including Fairfield costs NHS Bury over £1 million every year. This is money that could be spent elsewhere to improve health in Bury.
In a bid to stem this unnecessary waste, NHS Bury is urging patients to choose carefully which service best meets their needs through a new campaign entitled ‘care about the cost’.
A&E teams are faced with having to deal with cases such as coughs and colds, backache and upset stomachs on a daily basis – conditions that could be dealt with through a trip to the high street chemist or by visiting other local services. Other cases have included patients with wasp stings and small insect bites, small cuts to fingers injured while washing up, minor stomach irritations and back pain that has been ongoing for several months.
Figures suggest that around a third of visitors to Accident and Emergency (A&E) at Fairfield General Hospital could be treated more quickly and more appropriately by another NHS Service. By choosing and using the right services, patients can expect to be seen or treated more quickly, whilst keeping emergency services free for those patients with serious or life threatening illnesses. Choosing the right service also helps to make sure that the limited NHS resources available to Bury are being spent wisely. Care about the cost is win win, for the patient, and for the NHS.
The public information campaign will be launched this month and will be gathering speed in the run up to (and beyond) the winter period, a traditionally busy time of the year for A&E and the NHS in general.
The campaign focuses on the costs of services, where money is wasted and what patients can practically do to help make the most of their local NHS. It costs £68 simply to assess each patient at A&E, whilst having a simple test could cost £126.
There will be a series of messages emerging from the campaign over the coming weeks including highlighting the cost of wasted medicines; encouraging people to use the range of NHS services available to them including community pharmacies, NHS Direct and the Bury Urgent Treatment Centre; keeping appointments that have been booked or cancelling them in advance if they are no longer required, and where possible using self care to manage minor ailments.
John Boyington CBE, Chief Executive for NHS Bury said: “The campaign forms part of plans already announced by NHS Bury with a view to making significant financial savings by the end of the financial year and beyond. We want to make the most of every pound we are given whilst driving up the quality of health services. Local people have a really key role to play in this process, by using the right services and being more aware of what services cost, they can not only get the best and most appropriate care but they can also help to ensure the resources we have are spent in the most efficient and effective way. If a patient visits A&E and their condition is minor and could have been treated elsewhere, NHS Bury still gets charged. We have a duty to pay the lowest cost we can for appropriate care.”
“We want to generate maximum awareness in advance of the traditionally busy winter period and really want to engage with local patients about how they can help us make the best use of the local NHS.”
Dr. Jerry Martin, Chair of NHS Bury’s Commissioning Board and local GP added: “We want to urge patients not to forget that A&E departments are for life-threatening and emergency conditions, such as heart attacks, strokes, breathing problems and serious accidents. A&E teams are faced with having to deal with cases such as coughs and colds and upset stomachs everyday, these are conditions that could be dealt with elsewhere.”
“In addition to patients own GPs, pharmacies and NHS Direct, we have a new service at Moorgate Primary Care Centre known as Bury Urgent Treatment Centre. If you need treating today, and your condition isn’t an emergency, go here, this is a doctor led service. You can be seen, without an appointment every day from 8am until 10pm. Think urgent, think Moorgate.”
For full information about alternative services, including opening times and contact details, visit www.bury.nhs.uk or call NHS Direct on 0845 46 47.
ENDS
Date: 11 November 2010
FOR PRESS & MEDIA ENQUIRIES: contact Caroline Dearden on 0161 762 3106 or email communications@bury.nhs.uk
Notes to Editor:
Bury Urgent Treatment Centre is located at: First Floor, Moorgate Primary Care Centre, 22 Derby Way, Bury, BL9 0NJ, opposite M&S Bury. This is a doctor-led service open 7 days a week from 8am - 10pm.