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NHS Fife produces new advice to cut number of people attending A&E

Kris Miller, Courier, 19/12/11. Picture today shows an empty wheelchair outside Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy. For file.
Kris Miller, Courier, 19/12/11. Picture today shows an empty wheelchair outside Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy. For file.

NHS Fife is urging people to attend an accident and emergency department only when seriously ill or badly injured.

The health board has launched a booklet Know who to turn to when you are ill to advise potential patients where they can seek help if feeling unwell.

It details other options, including self-care, visiting a pharmacy, NHS 24 and minor injuries services.

The move comes in response to Scottish Government targets aimed at driving down A&E attendances.

NHS Fife also has to meet the national target of 98% for patients waiting under than four hours for emergency treatment. Fife slipped below the target over winter but has hit 98% again in recent weeks.

Consultant emergency physician Dr Ronald Cook has set out plans for redirecting patients from A&E, including a triage process to identify patients who have been ill or injured for more than three days and patients who have already consulted their doctor about the complaint.

A patient likely to be redirected will be advised of the situation before being seen by the senior doctor on duty, who will decide if redirection to another service is appropriate.

Dr Cook said: “We shouldn’t be subjecting patients to a long wait, only for them to be told: ‘Sorry, you shouldn’t be at the emergency department’. I think that’s unfair and I think information needs to be given as early on in the process as possible.”