A VIDEO calling service is being used to alleviate pressure on accident and emergency departments in Co Cork.
The new HSE South West Urgent Virtual Care (UVC) service has prevented hundreds of attendances at emergency departments in the last month, the HSE said.
The service runs Monday to Friday from 10am until 6pm.
It operates from Cork University Hospital and allows GPs and paramedics to consult directly by phone or by video call with a senior medical decision maker in emergency medicine or geriatric medicine.
Since it started it has dealt with more than 400 referrals with more than 280 people avoiding emergency departments as a result of using the service.
69% of those patients avoided an emergency department (ED) by being directed to another pathway. This means that more than 280 people have avoided ED in the last month, thanks to the service.
The service accepts referrals from GPs and paramedics across the HSE South West region and patients cannot refer themselves.
‘We know that the emergency department may not always be suitable for our patients’ needs but is often the only resource left to us.
The UVC provides us with the opportunity to discuss the best and most appropriate care options for our patients. It helps to identify alternate pathways for those patients that don’t require emergency care,’ said GP Lead and SouthDoc chair Dr Audrey Russell.
HSE integrated healthcare area manager Priscilla Lynch said the initial trial period has exceeded all expectations and the HSE will now work to extend the service.
