1056 
A new service has started in two hospitals in Buckinghamshire aimed at reducing the number of patients admitted to hospital unnecessarily after attending the Accident and Emergency (A&E) department.
Both A&E departments at Wycombe General and Stoke Mandeville Hospitals now have a GP working alongside their existing clinicians to assess patients whose admission might be avoided or curtailed.
Once identified, patients will be provided with the clinical care and appropriate community support to allow them to be treated at home and to regain their previous levels of independence.
As a joint project with Buckinghamshire Primary Care and Buckinghamshire Hospital NHS Trusts, the new GP in A&E service is provided by The Practice plc, a primary care company delivering innovative healthcare services for the NHS.
The service is designed to ensure that people receive the right care in the right setting. “We believe that no-one should be in a hospital bed without needing acute treatment,” commented Debbie Raven, Director of Services at The Practice.
“Our ethos is to bring appropriate clinical services out of hospital and into the community so patients can be treated closer to home.”
Most people prefer to receive treatment at home wherever possible. The service aims to make the process simple and effective whilst reducing pressure on hospitals and maintaining standards.
The Practice plc have demonstrated this to be achievable in an existing A&E service in Wiltshire – showing a decrease of unscheduled admissions of 5.5% for the year with patient satisfaction remaining high.
