Consultant Connect’s Post

It is time to reassess how we do business every day. The current Us model is dented, if not broken. Losing valuable EMS resources due to wall time is unconscionable. It is time to evaluate our patients from the point of the 911 call and provide the right resource, to the right patient in the right amount of time and in some cases, never sending anyone and connecting the patients with the care they need right from the point of that 911 call. There is some exciting data around this topic being gathered in socialized medicine countries where the have more latitude to manage resources than we do in the US Healthcare model. I have been advocating for this model since the mid 1990’s, but way ahead of it’s time. We are in a different place since COVID, which in my opinion decimated healthcare. The positive is there is greater trust in remote and tele health models, information exchange and the ability to connect patients with pharmacy, x-rays and a multitude of other outpatient services. A very long post to simply say, it’s time for change.

The ambulance sector plays a pivotal role in delivering urgent and emergency care and a new report published today, which we developed alongside the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives and NHS Providers sets out a long term vision for the enhanced role they could take in co-designing this care. It is based on engagement with ambulance, acute, community and mental health trusts and ICSs and is designed to be a conversation starter about the potential for the ambulance service to take a greater role in leading and co-designing urgent and emergency care provision. In thriving systems, leaders view the ambulance service as doing more than responding to emergencies. The service can help to prevent ill health and keep people out of hospital. The report published today features lots of examples. Extending and formalising a wider remit in urgent and emergency care (UEC) could help solve some of the key system pressures, reduce the risks for patients and offer a more positive, supportive and productive environment for staff. Learn more and see examples of positive practice in the report 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eavCtYeP

This report is identical in any current ambulance service in Canada. The experience and the current situation is similar to the point of exact. Usage, offload delays (ramping) and the ability for ambulance services to turn and pivot. Every Health Care leader, political leader, ambulance (paramedic, emergency) service leader and administrator in Ontario, and to move broadly, Canada, should read this report and understand that the content is occurring or can occur in their back yard. The good news, solutions are in play, at least in Ontario, with changes in models of care, advancement of community paramedics, changes to the dispatch algorithms and CAD systems and technology innovation. But these changes are at a pace in which the system can not keep up with demand. Ideas, innovation and collaboration have to work together and comments or thoughts that say, "it won't work" have to be abolished! If we keep doing the same things, how can we ever expect to realize improvement. Kudos to those who have made change, have brought forward new ideas and continue down a path of forward thinking. Your patients thank you and your communities thank you Here is the link for easier review https://lnkd.in/eavCtYeP

Transforming Emergency Response: SELDOC's Innovative Approach to supporting Ambulance Services In the face of skyrocketing demand for ambulance services, largely due to GP overspill, heightened patient expectations for immediate care and an ageing population, SELDOC has pioneered an effective solution.   Recognising that a significant proportion of 999 calls can be resolved without dispatching an ambulance, we've implemented a proactive approach, working with the London Ambulance Service, one of the UK's largest ambulance trusts, that ensures ambulances are reserved for genuine emergencies. Before deploying an ambulance, where the call has been categorised as non-urgent, SELDOC's team, consisting of over 200 medical professionals, engages directly with those individuals.   Through expert medical diagnosis and advice delivered over the phone, we swiftly escalate any emergencies while guiding others towards more suitable care pathways, which can range from self-care recommendations and electronic prescriptions to arranging face-to-face GP appointments. Our collaborative efforts with the London Ambulance Service have yielded remarkable results. Over the past eighteen months, only 8% of processed non-urgent (Category 3 and 4) calls necessitated an ambulance, saving over 65,000 ambulance journeys, underscoring the efficacy of our approach. At the heart of our mission is our integrated IT infrastructure, enabling GPs to identify patients on the LAS system and then directly book GP appointments, undertake electronic prescribing and share data securely across healthcare organisations. This not only expedites patient care but also significantly enhances patient satisfaction by reducing wait times and the frequency of follow-up calls. Join us in redefining emergency medical response. With SELDOC, we're not just addressing today's challenges; we're setting new standards for patient-cantered care in the emergency sector. #HealthcareInnovation #EmergencyServices #PatientCare #SELDOC #AmbulanceService #MedicalProfessional #ecas North East Ambulance Service East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust

🚨 Urgent Call to Action for the NHS and Ambulance Sector 🚨 🤕The latest data from the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE) reveals a critical issue: 32,000 patients faced potential harm in May 2024 due to prolonged hospital handover delays (1) ⏳During the same month the sector lost the equivalent of 101,000 ambulance job cycles, where thousands of patients could have been attended (2) 🚑This broadly equates to 16% of all face-to-face ambulance responses across the month and is clearly unsustainable (1) This alarming trend highlights the urgent need for support for the ambulance sector in eradicating these delays, ensuring timely, high-quality care for all patients - and we're still in the middle of summer 🌨️🌬️ #Healthcare #NHS #PatientSafety #AmbulanceService 1) https://lnkd.in/eKPHhNSU 2) https://lnkd.in/ekkZzZq6

This article highlights how Freestanding Emergency Departments (FSEDs) make expensive care super convenient for hospitals. They're basically an extension of the less efficient care #hospitals often provide, and a way to lure patients into inpatient admissions. FSEDs aren’t really about serving communities better—they’re about bringing patients to the hospital instead of more appropriate settings. But hey, in #Florida, there’s a better option—our “high acuity urgent care” model at GEMD. We combine the capabilities of an FSED with the efficiency of #urgentcare. We work with payers and providers to prevent unnecessary admissions and focus on value-based, high-quality care. And yes, I know, this sounds like a bit of a self-promotion for GuideWell Emergency Doctors, but honestly, we’re the antithesis of an #FSED! 😉 READ ARTICLE ▶️https://lnkd.in/eGV5V9Z4 Healthcare Brew

Informative article on the rise of Freestanding Emergency Departments (FSEDs). Unlike urgent care centers, which are cheaper and less equipped, FSEDs handle serious medical issues with emergency physicians on staff. These facilities ease hospital crowding and provide convenient access to care, especially in busy or underserved areas. However, confusion about their services can lead to unexpectedly high costs for patients. Read more: https://bit.ly/4fymiUB.

With observation rooms, MRI/CT scanners and Operating Theatres supported by Specialist Emergency Physicians, our urgent care centre is even better equipped than some of the public alternatives described in the ST article. And our consult charges are only S$90 to boot. If only mainstream health insurers would reimburse private Urgent Care Centres for the work that we do, then more patients could be effectively decanted from the overwhelmed public hospitals. #healthcareinsurance #urgentcare #StarMed #emergencymedicine

An interesting article highlighting the challenges around NHS England patient transportation. Spending on private ambulances in the north west has more than quadrupled over the last four financial years. The money the North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) spends on private ambulances has increased from £3.62m in 2019/20 to nearly £15m in 2022/23 - more than four times as much. https://lnkd.in/eVxR8Xwe