Emergency and urgent care services are on the verge of collapse due to numerous challenges imposed by rapid changes in demographic, health and social factors. Over the years, these changes have been continuing to exist but the way the emergency services delivered are intact. It is impossible to reverse the trend; in fact there is no reason of doing so, thus care services must develop whole system solutions.
The demand of medical services is on the rise due to numerous reasons in which poor diet and worse air quality are the most obvious reasons. The number of ill people is rising day by day. In fact, most people are struggling to pay their medical bills out of their monthly income. As a result, they are taking out mini text loans. Before you take out such loans, make sure that the lender is reliable and trustworthy.
Emergency care system is complex and the pressure continues to rise. It is paramount to introduce an effective solution as soon as possible. However, before finding the solution, emergency services department needs to have detailed understanding of issues that will underpin future services. Here is what the whole system solution takes in:
Understanding the demand
The foremost and the critical step is managing the demand of emergency and urgent care services. The increase in demand of such services is not a new trend, but over a number of years, it has drastically increased that it has become a serious trouble for emergency care department. The graph goes up if you compare current number of calls, incidents and journeys
Ageing population is one of the biggest reasons for an increase in the demand of emergency and urgent care services. However, this is not the sole reason. Senior citizens are frequent visitors and callers. They rely on general practitioners on frequent basis because they are not able to care of their own.
Social factors such as loneliness, increased social mobility, lack of social support, more family separation, cultural differences, access to transport, understanding of primary care services, and increasing alcohol related problems are also the contributing factors to rise in emergency services.
Redesigning of system
The system needs to be redesigned considering all its wings such as management, leadership, finance, service improvement, service design and delivery. A redesign system should be modelled on the basis of what needs to be rendered to the people. The emergency units must have a clear idea of where, when and how when it comes to rendering services. With better management, self-care options may be expanded so that as many people can get services on the right time in the right way as possible.
Effective alternatives to hospital admissions
Hospitalisation cost is very high and NHS has been very slow to develop effective alternatives to hospital admissions knowing that it is important for patients with chronic illness who frequently visit clinically care units. It is also crucial for those patients who need healthcare services after normal working hours. The emergency services need to develop an effective system whereby patients can get expert diagnosis and treatment.
The NHS must ensure that all patients get expert diagnosis without any hurdle and confusion. There must be clear information on every service targeting patients of both physical and mental health needs.
Financial incentive to support unscheduled care
Providing urgent and effective emergency care services is becoming challenging day by day. Hospital needs to find the resources to compete against these challenges. Financial incentives must be introduced so that care staff can easily manage the demand of services in unscheduled time. In the times gone by, the marginal rate was introduced to restrict emergency admissions, but data discovered that it continued to rise. Hospitals need to find resources to invest in primary and social care so as to provide the solution of growing challenges in health care sector.
Effective planning for discharge
The length of the stay of patients can whittle down if hospitals make effective discharge policy. It might be very complex because some patients require social care assessment, mental health assessment, capacity assessment, best interest assessment, and the like. A safe discharge relies on the integration of all these services that must be available throughout the week anytime.
Hospitals must ensure early planning of discharge so that admission of other patients can be supported and handled without trouble. However, discharge must be carried out involving opinions of other health professionals. Care facilities must include assessment and supportive care packages for patients who do not need hospital beds for treatment.
Greater collaboration within the hospital
The number of admitted patients who need a wide range of specialty needs is on the rise. Such patients may have mental health issues that not only affect their physical health but also the ability to cope up with home environment. Hospitals need to develop a collaborative model of care which must be the group of doctors, surgeons from different specialisation background. It must act as a network across the hospital to provide patients with the best healthcare service.
Sufficient capacity
Hospitals need to maintain the adequate supply of emergency beds and staffing capacity to ensure each patient receives the adequate treatment at the right time. Social care capacity should be increased so as to make unscheduled admissions successful.
Emergency and urgent care services can be ameliorated if a proper plan is executed.