Hairmyres A&E will NEVER refuse to treat patients say NHS

Jan 7 2009 by Graham Mann, East Kilbride News

A&E will NEVER refuse to treat patients say NHS

PATIENTS who attend Hairmyres Hospital’s accident and emergency unit will NOT be turned away.

That was the message from NHS Lanarkshire in response to claims that the hospital was ‘closed’ to new admissions on 98 occasions in a single year.

Labour’s health spokesman Dr Richard Simpson obtained figures under Freedom of Information laws which showed medical and surgical admissions were redirected from Hairmyres A&E unit 58 times between July 2006 and the end of June 2007, rising to 98 over the following 12 month period.

The figures also revealed calls to Wishaw General’s A&E fell from 52 to 47.

Dr Simpson said: “Clearly, NHS Lanarkshire’s decision to abandon plans for further investment in these two hospitals is having consequences for patients who are being forced to seek treatment elsewhere. NHS Lanarkshire is being required to find savings of more than £15 million this year.

“Instead of demanding more cuts, the Scottish Government should make the NHS a genuine priority.”

However, Dr Barry Vallance, divisional medical director for acute services insisted it was incorrect to say NHS Lanarkshire had abandoned plans to invest in Hairmyres – and he said all patients who self-refer or arrive by ambulance will be treated.

He said: "I cannot stress enough that our hospitals never ‘shut’ or close their doors to patients and any such claim unnecessarily heightens patient anxiety. All patients that self-refer or arrive by emergency ambulance at Lanarkshire A&E departments are seen and treated.

“Patients are assessed and are seen on the basis of priority.

“This means that no matter how busy an A&E department is, those who require urgent treatment will be seen immediately and we continue to see and treat the majority of patients within the four hour waiting time guarantee.”

Dr Vallance went on to say that patients referred to A&E units by their GP could be re-directed when a hospital is experiencing an exceptionally high rate of emergency admissions.

He added: "While Mr Simpson makes reference to the number of occasions on which a hospital has redirected GP calls this does not reflect the fact that in practice this affects very small numbers of patients and is often for only a short period of time.

"We have introduced an Emergency Response Centre to support and manage GP calls across Lanarkshire so that patients are directed to the most appropriate hospital without delay.

"Furthermore it is completely inaccurate to suggest that NHS Lanarkshire is no longer investing in our hospitals.

“NHS Lanarkshire is making progress in improving waiting times for outpatient, inpatient and daycase appointments."

A spokesman for Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said: “If the Labour Party had had its way then the accident and emergency facility at Monklands Hospital would be closing this new year.

“It was only the election of the SNP Government that halted Labour’s scheme to close the A&E at Monklands.”