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NHS


NEW YEAR, SAME STORY - NHS AT BREAKING POINT


IN AN UNpREcEDENtED moVE thIS YEAR thE BRItISh mEDIcAl ASSocIAtIoN ISSUED A DIREct AppEAl to thE pUBlIc foR hElp to RElIEVE thE pRESSURE oN gp SERVIcES BY URgINg pEoplE wIth mINoR AIlmENtS to tREAt thEmSElVES At homE oR go to thEIR locAl phARmAcY. By Stephanie Bell


t


he crisis facing gp services, gp out of hours and Emergency Departments (EDs) in the winter


months will continue until the health service is radically overhauled according to local community pharmacist Dr terry maguire.


like EDs and gp services, local pharmacies found themselves busier than usual at the start of the year as the annual flu epidemic hit. Dr terry maguire however warned that the problem was one which needed a radical solution rather a quick fix cure.


the Belfast pharmacist, says that studies show few patients do in fact go to A&E with minor issues. he says most people braving the long waits are very ill and the majority is suffering from respiratory problems: “the health service needs radical change and the way ED is designed that even a 10% increase in demand can become a crisis.


“we have two A&Es in Belfast, where one would suffice if properly resourced. Across NI we have too many acute hospitals.


“Resources need to be shifted from secondary care into primary care and this includes community development organisations and specialist teams such as those that attend the frail elderly population and keep them


well in their home. In addition stroke units and cath labs should be directly accessible for emergencies; people should go directly, rather than to ED.


“the structure needs to be radically changed.


“these major structural problems in the health service are manifesting as ED problems. It is going to keep happening year after year until there is a change and at the moment there is no political will to make the changes.


“Respiratory problems are one of the biggest reasons why people go to ED. If someone has a respiratory illness and smokes and you add the flu on top of that then you have a very ill patient who is obviously going to go to ED.


“If resources were put into allowing these people to be treated much earlier; prevention and early intervention then there wouldn’t be the same pressures on ED. these are very ill people going to ED who cannot be dealt with by their gps or through self-management.”


Referring to the recent minor Ailment Study carried out by Aberdeen University he said he was shocked to discover that only 4pc of people preferred advice from pharmacists first; choosing other sources of advice such as family members and the gp.


he adds: “I found that statistic staggering given the fact that for 40 odd years we have been advertising pharmacy as the first port of call.


“It has got to the stage when the whole concept of self-care needs to be seen in a more comprehensive and holistic way, it is more to do with a cultural change and more about prevention – primary and secondary and self-management.”


the New Year winter flu epidemic saw ED departments across the province reporting hundreds of people waiting to be treated, discharged or admitted. Northern Ireland’s under-pressure gps also took the unusual step of asking patients to self-treat minor illnesses common over the winter period as they deal with a staffing crisis. British medical Association’s Northern Ireland general practitioners committee (NIgpc) wrote a letter to the public warning them that due to the "unprecedented pressure in terms of increased workload and a severe shortage of doctors" and “abject failure of local politicians to address these issues has exacerbated an already critical situation”.


the letter sent to all newspapers across Northern Ireland urged people to use local pharmacists as their first point of call for minor winter ailments.


“over the winter months gps and their staff will do their best to maintain vital services for the most vulnerable patients, however it is only fair to warn you that some practices may have to cut their opening hours, stop routine services, deal with cases over the phone or send patients directly to hospital in order to manage workload," wrote NIgpc chair, Dr tom Black.


“to help manage workload we would encourage patients, where possible, to deal with minor illnesses such as sore throats, coughs and colds with treatment at home. Your local pharmacy should be your first point of call for these minor issues.”


Stephen Slaine, chairperson and pharmacist lead for the Antrim/ Ballymena Icp said community pharmacies had been busier than ever this winter and had been playing their role in preventing many people going first to their gps.


And he added: “I would pose the question, how much worse would things be without the pharmacy network? there in a situation where we have a lot of common colds and flu.


“we have found ourselves very busy since christmas and in fact we have been busier than usual for this time of year with both prescriptions and people looking for advice to treat the cold and flu.”


phARmAcY IN focUS - 39


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