MORE than 5,000 sufferers throughout North Wales have benefitted from an progressive collaboration between Betsi Cadwaladr Well being Board and the Welsh Ambulance Service (WAST).
The Single Built-in Medical Evaluation and Triage Service (SICAT) was launched on the North Wales Ambulance Medical Contact Centre in October 2018 to overview 999 calls.
A crew of GPs have been recruited into the service to determine sufferers who could profit from seeing their GP or pharmacist, slightly than attend an Emergency Division through an ambulance.
The GPs along with Superior Paramedic Practitioners assess the affected person after they name 999 by gaining their medical historical past, and the place secure and attainable, provide an alternate route for his or her sickness or damage.
Dr Helen Alefounder, one of many GPs concerned within the service, mentioned: “This thrilling initiative was launched with WAST to additional assist the best way we look after and signpost our sufferers.
“This service at present helps the ambulance service, out of hours, main and secondary care.
“Of the 5,000 sufferers we’ve reviewed via SICAT, we’ve diminished the variety of admissions to the Emergency Division by 65 per cent and the variety of ambulances required to attend.
“It’s an efficient and dynamic service that’s serving to to cut back the demand on our Emergency Departments and ambulance service and ensures our sufferers are getting their care in the fitting place on the proper time.
“This has been a extremely constructive mission from the start and the assist from employees from each organisations has been super.
“There was an actual sense that we’re making a distinction and folks working with the mission can see the influence this has had on many sufferers who’re significantly frail, susceptible and palliative sufferers.”
Mark Timmins, the Welsh Ambulance Service’s Implementation Lead in North Wales, mentioned this collaborative working has enabled sufferers to entry the system in proper approach.
He mentioned: “The Emergency Division isn’t all the time the reply, which is why we’re working with GPs to signpost sufferers to a extra applicable different if their sickness or damage may very well be higher handled elsewhere.
“The proof reveals that this initiative is making an actual influence, liberating up our crews and automobiles to answer different, extra severe emergencies.
“The SICAT additionally provides our crews a direct pathway for assist and recommendation whereas nonetheless with a affected person, which they’ve discovered invaluable.
“The general public may help through the use of our ambulance service sensibly; assist us show you how to if you want us most and think twice earlier than you dial 999.”
