NHS must strike the right balance (From Oxford Mail)

NHS must strike the right balance

7:20am Friday 13th November 2009 in

• Skip social links
• Print
• Email
•  

NHS Oxfordshire, the new name the Primary Care Trust has given itself, is right to educate people about when they should be using the county’s A&E departments.

Figures showing almost 40 per cent of people who turn up at casualty would get the correct level of treatment elsewhere, wasting £3m in the process, are shocking.

The list of some of the ailments – sunburn, hangovers and even a sniffle – show many people just do not think, or that they believe A&E is a one-stop-shop for all their needs.

Making people consider properly their illness or injury must surely be the message from NHS Oxfordshire. But it is a message that should be carefully delivered.

As with many things in life, illness is not black and white.

There will be times, especially where children are concerned, where people will go to A&E just to be sure and they cannot be faulted for being diligent parents.

Making those people too scared to go to the JR, fearing officialdom’s disapproval, will backfire with a tragedy one day and that would be too high a cost.

The aim must be to convince the time-wasters there is quicker and better treatment elsewhere, while not putting off those who really need accident and emergency treatment.