CV19-0320-2 Queries for Community Care and Acute Care
Continuity of Business as Usual in the Community
While most attention has been placed on Acute services, ICU beds, clearing beds, extension of cancellations of outpatient appointment’s, and elective surgeries.
The World Health Organisation have stated that now we need more nursing home services in the community and at home testing kits.
We need to enhance service provision extend role of pharmacy and community IV in the community to treat patients in their home or residence.
It was established Monday 9th March that the National Emergency Plan for Managing Epidemic’s has not been updated since 2007 and is currently being updated.
The following are concerns that have been raised with us by members of the public and experienced professionals.
What enhanced supports have we put in place to stop all patients being transferred to Hospital. This refers to the most vulnerable eg Residents in Nursing Homes, and those requiring care at home.
What enhanced supports are being put in place to keep patients away from congregation? example: in nursing homes and pharmacies’ in the community.
Have we developed a home testing kit for patients?
Have we a plan to collect same?
How are pharmacies being used to protect patients in the community?
Will we develop a triage app that will allow pharmacies to triage and dispense medication service and testing? This is urgent as the GPs will be under enormous workload in the coming week
Elderly patients are still being transferred to hospital for treatment they should be getting in Nursing Homes such as IVs and minor falls. What steps are being put in place to avoid transfers for our most vulnerable?
Reports are coming in that families are very worried about what will happen to their
loved ones if they get sick.
Principle: Patients come first and should not be used as a pawn by any party in dealing with this historic challenge to our society. Flexibility among and within professions will be needed to share the burden among the frontline in acute and community settings.
Some models of the impact of Coronavirus as high as 60% of population with 5% being critical and up to 3% total mortality, Our Acute system cannot cope with this demand in addition to normal demand, this is why treatment in the community is a HIGH PRIORITY now.
We have unconfirmed reports that St James Hospital has an emergency pop-up tent hospital that they have not been able to erect due to the space being occupied reserved for the children’s hospital development. Is this true? if so, where will this tent be erected ? and with it, the same services as previously planned for?
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