The A&E Unit of the Future

Ms Hewitt said that casualty services in future would divide into three kinds, with “super- A&Es” for people with the most serious conditions, local A&Es for most treatment and the A&E that “will come to you” for less serious injuries.

(From The Times, Wed 6th December weblink here)

I’m sorry, I’m not going to beat around the bush about this one. What the fuck is she talking about?

So, if I get this right

Major injuries will go to trauma centres. No problems there.

Local A&Es for most treatments – er, like we’ve got already. But just a few more of them, but not to save money of course.

It’s the third category that’s the clincher however. Lets say it again for its full effect

“The A&E that “will come to you” for less serious injuries”.

No matter how much I look at it, it still sounds ridiculous.

We are closing local A&E to save money to redistibute the funding to massive trauma centres of excellence but, meanwhile we will have staff going to the most minor of injuries?The malingerers, who can’t get off their arses to come into casualty until the footy has finished, will now get a door to door service, a bit like pizza delivery, so they can be seen at their convenience, and not miss too much of the game.

And how will we run this service? Who will ‘come to us’ Patricia?

Will it be paramedics? Oh no, they will be on the road to the new super A&E as “Long ambulance journeys do not lead to more deaths.” ( Sir George Alberti) [1]

Will it be GPs? Will you try to bully them into it? I see Lord Warner may have started the campaign already. They want out of hours cover back.

Will it be some of the staff you are in the process of sacking because of your monumental fuck ups?

Will it become another pressure placed on current staff?

Are we going to see A&E on-the-road caravans?

So please Patricia. Don’t leave me in suspense. Tell me what you mean. Show me your vision of the A&E of the future. Tell me how I’ll take their x-rays when I go to them.

 +++++     +++++     +++++     +++++

[1] So why bother with air ambulances then?