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Living rooms to become hospital wards under Surrey County Council and NHS plans (From Your Local Guardian)
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Living rooms to become hospital wards under Surrey County Council and NHS plans
2:50pm Thursday 18th October 2012 in Top Stories By Laura Proto
Living rooms to become hospital wards under Surrey County Council and NHS plans
Living rooms are set to become virtual hospital wards in a scheme that aims to cut admissions.
The roll-out of the initiative is set out in a new report to Surrey County Council’s health scrutiny committee.
It features a team of specialists who provide hospital services in people’s own homes.
Emergency admissions to hospital are costly for the NHS and last year the King’s Fund estimated that £1bn a year could be saved on the use of hospital beds.
Those most likely to go to hospital are identified and asked if they want to join the ward.
A community matron would visit a patient and makes an assessment before working with the county council’s social services, GPs, mental health services, pharmacists and specialist nurses to treat them at home.
The virtual wards also work closely with palliative care staff, ambulance services, out of hours GP services and voluntary sector agencies.
Medical equipment, such as blood pressure monitors, can also be installed in homes.
Nick Skellett, chairman of the committee, said: “This is a great example of organisations pulling together to provide better service. It prevents hospital stays, save public funds and, most importantly, gives people the care they want where they want it.”
The initiative has been developed by NHS Surrey and Surrey County Council.
Medifix says...
2:03pm Fri 19 Oct 12
Foreign medical graduates have to prove their are competent before they are registered to work as doctors in UK.
The major problem in majority present themselves with history of common symptoms and illness. Only doctors with the knowledge and training can safely diagnose illness. Sore throat and rash can be due to serious illness like leukaemia and not necessarily viral infection.
People with chronic illness, patients on steroids and emerging infections are very difficult to manage. Offering a service using untrained people is like using a quack to offer healthcare.
This is un-ethical and immoral and so hope the GMC will start regulating these un-registerd medical practitioners like they subject foreign medical graduates and regulate their activity.
I hope the doctors standup and protest to defend patients and their profession.