Make medicine last, patients are advised
Dec 22 2008 by Sam Wood, The Journal
PATIENTS in the North East have been advised to check they have enough medication to keep them going over Christmas in a bid take pressure off emergency GP services.
Northern Doctors Urgent Care (NDUC) provides out-of-hours access to GP services for 934,000 people across Newcastle, Northumberland, North Tyneside and South Tyneside, and has issued the appeal due to increased call-outs this winter. So far demand for the service is between 15% and 20% higher than expected for the time of year, putting pressure on staff.
NDUC said that around 15% of its call outs were from people who had run out of medication and needed more supplies. The appeal comes after it was revealed last week that ambulance crews in the region have seen a 17% increase in call-outs compared to the same period last year.
John Harrison, chief executive of NDUC, said: “We think the extra demand is down to increased cases of flu and winter vomiting virus. It seems to be mainly elderly people who are affected.
“The service is designed to be flexible and we can cope with the increased demand but the quality of our service could be effected.
“Our advice to anyone with a GP prescription is to check that they have enough medication to last over the holiday period until the December 29, when surgeries reopen.
“If anyone is short of medication, the best thing to do is contact their GP now to arrange an additional prescription.
“It is not just something that will take the pressure off our service but it will also provide peace of mind for the patient.
“They can get very stressed if they find out they have run out of pills and have to run around.
“Just a little bit of thought could save all the hassle and allow us to give a better service to other patients who need to see the doctor.”
Last year, the busiest hour for the NDUC was on Boxing Day between 9-10am, when 132 calls were received, while the four busiest days over Christmas were the weekend of 22 and 23 December, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
More than 2,000 patients were seen over these four days alone, with an average of 50 calls an hour outside the quiet hours between midnight and 8am.
Earlier this year, NDUC launched a new NHS telephone number for patients living North of the Tyne to access out-of-hours treatment with a doctor.
The new number, 0300 123-4343, offers a reduced rate for local calls, numbers using evening and weekend lower rate packages, and calls from mobile phones. Patients can still call the existing NDUC number on 0845 608-0320 which will continue to operate across the patch.
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