'Please Use Out Of Hours Responsibly' Says Trust
21/03/2005
Health chiefs have today issued a request for patients to use the new Out of Hours service responsibly over the Easter period.
Thorntons stores in Gloucestershire, which are particularlyu busy at this time of year, will be helping to encourage appropriate use of the service by displaying information cards in the run up to Easter.
Out of Hours lead for Cotswold and Vale Primary Care Trust, Justine Rawlings, explained that the NHS needed to make sure that every member of the team working in the new Out of Hours service was making the best use of their time by responding to urgent medical enquiries only.
"We expect it to be a busy four days, but we have learned from our experiences over the Christmas and New Year period and are as prepared as we can be for Easter," she said.
"We have now arranged a priority agreement with BT to ensure that all telephone lines are checked prior to and during periods of high demand and investment in training has also been important to ensure that staff have more experience of the system."
Over Easter, the Out of Hours service will be operational for four days (25-28 March) and the Trust is calling on patients to play their part in helping the NHS provide an effective service.
Ms Rawlings said: "We are still receiving some inappropriate calls from members of the public who do not require urgent medical help.
"It is even more important during the Easter period that the service is not having to handle routine enquiries - such as requests for repeat prescriptions or test results. The public can play their part by using the Out of Hours service responsibly."
The PCT is reminding patients that their GP surgery is no longer routinely open on a Saturday morning and is closed on public holidays.
The new Out of Hours Service officially went 'live' across the county in October and provides urgent treatment or care to patients who, for medical reasons, cannot wait until their GP surgery re-opens. It is a service run by dedicated Out of Hours staff including doctors and specialist nurses.
Patients are advised to plan ahead and ensure they have ordered and collected repeat prescriptions in advance from their GP surgery and have sufficient medication to meet their needs.
