Leading campaigners are pleading with health bosses to make sure there is a clear and definite way to access urgent care at the Vale of Leven Hospital.
The Lennox Herald reported last week on the case of Val McLean who was turned away from the Alexandria facility despite struggling to stand.
She instead had to flag down a taxi to take her to Paisley’s Royal Alexandra Hospital where it was later discovered she had septicaemia.
The health board say patients must call NHS 24 before presenting at the Vale for out-of-hours care.
Val had done this but misunderstood the instructions. She has since been given an apology from medical staff.
Now, both Dr Patrick Trust of Lomond Patients Group and Jim Moohan of Hospitalwatch say the system has to be looked at as a priority.
Dr Trust said doors at the Vale must remain open and unlocked.
He said: “I think everyone would hope this doesn’t happen again including the hospital management.
“We need absolute certainty that the front doors are not locked.
“They are locked because of Covid and I understand that and I can understand the fact that they want people to book an appointment to avoid a big crowd at the hospital.
“But NHS24 doesn’t work well enough to allow that in my opinion.”
Dr Trust was himself a doctor responsible for the out-of-hours facility at the Vale previously and recalled an occasion where two young lads came to the unit and asked for a wheelchair.
They brought in a friend who had multiple injuries which could have gone on to claim his life.
The doctor said: “We kept him alive. That sort of thing might not well happen if there’s not an open door. We have the facility at the Vale to keep someone alive while getting an ambulance.
“We will never have a full A&E at the Vale and I don’t think we need it but we must have the ability to see people and send them to the right place.”
Speaking about her ordeal Val, from Middleton Street in Alexandria told how there had been a mix-up on the phone as she thought she was to go to ‘Alexandria’ whereas it emerged that the operator at NHS24 had advised her to attend at the ‘Royal Alexandra’ in Paisley.
Val explained: “We got a taxi up and by that time I was fading. We saw a girl pushing the buzzer to talk to staff, so my husband pressed it. I was sitting on the ground, fainting.
“My husband was saying ‘let her in’ but they wouldn’t see us.”
And Dr Trust believes that not allowing treatment or proper assessment for people who present at the Vale Hospital is potentially leading to a greater number of patients showing up at the doors of A&E.
He explained: “That’s unacceptable and hence we now have the crisis at A&E.
“The numbers have gone up over 60 percent because patients either can’t get through to their GPs or can’t get through to 111 (NHS 24). They turn up to A&E.
“We have to have an open door because we will avoid disaster that way.
“Unless NHS24 answers immediately like a 999 service, it’s no good.
“It’s all very well telling people they are not an emergency but they may not know that.
“You can have a mother with a sick child or someone with a high temperature.
“It may be absolutely nothing serious but a patient doesn’t know that and we can’t expect patients to know whether they are seriously ill or not.
“If you believe you are seriously ill, the front door has to be open for you.
“When we started this up, we were nervous as GPs about coping with all of these emergencies but we kept the front door open.
“Until the Covid situation is resolved, we have to think of some way that people can at least be seen and triaged.
“The Vale can’t deal with everything but can deal with about 85 percent of what turns up.”
Hospitalwatch chair Jim Moohan described the recent example involving Val McLean - and those of three others who were forced to wait on lengthy calls to NHS24 - as a “wake-up call” for health chiefs.
He told the Lennox Herald this week: “We are still extremely angry and very concerned over the circumstances those four people found themselves in.
“Each of them in their own way tried to contact NHS24 and either spent a long time on the phone or were refused entry when they attended at the hospital.
“That was wrong.”
Jim went on: “We have been very appreciative of Covid over the last 18 months to the extent that a lot of people have phoned 111 before going to the hospital to keep the pressure off the hospital but when these issues came to light over the last six weeks we had to intervene.
“Now we have to step up a gear and get these things sorted.
“People still slip through the net and show up but they need medical attention. They turn up because they are concerned.
“We just want to get things back on an even keel.
“It is definitely a wake-up call. People are now coming to the group and saying ‘this happened to me or to someone I know’.
“These are real situations. They are not rumours or stories.
“They are factual incidents that give us cause for concern.
“It’s a sad reflection on what we have achieved over the last 15 years and we have achieved a lot. The community have achieved a lot and we thank them again for their support.”
Jim argues that the best approach would be clear, concise messaging for communities which are visually noticeable around the region.
He said: “Once again we pay compliments to the GPs for making this service available.
“It breaks down when people are stopped at the door by a buzzer.
“Management have to improve the way the pathway operates.
“The information needs to be advertised on posters throughout the area to say this is the pathway for the minor ailments unit, minor injury unit and GP out-of-hours service.
“People don’t know this and there is confusion.
“Communication to the public within the area has to be more clear and it might mean spending more money on placards or billboards but people need this information to be clear and easy to follow.
“God forbid we end up with another situation like we had with Val McLean.
“That is how close we are getting to a complete and utter breakdown of the system.
“There also has to be a clear understanding of if people can’t get through to 111 as per the times I have queried previously, people will go to the hospital and they will say ‘I phoned and I have still had no reply, I need attention for my ailment’.
“There has to be a way of making it more clear and ensure people know what to do if they can’t get through to 111.”
Hospitalwatch representatives are due to have a meeting between their scheduled quarterly summits with health bosses to raise this particular issue.
Jim added: “Sometimes people are panicked and stressed and they will turn up at the hospital.
“That situation will happen and we have been told time and again that no one would be refused medical attention.
“I was given that commitment by senior management that they wouldn’t be refused attention.
“You have this voice asking you immediately ‘have you contacted NHS24?’ The patient then says they tried to get through and it seems to break down there. It can’t possibly work.”
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde last week apologised to Mrs McLean saying “her care on that day fell below our normal high standard”.
A spokesman added: “We are committed to the Vale of Leven Hospital, which provides first class, urgent healthcare to West Dunbartonshire which is testament to the ongoing dedication and hard work of all our staff.
“It is important that for a life-threatening emergency you should always call 999 or go directly to A&E.
“If you are unsure of the treatment you require you can phone NHS 24 on 111 for advice. This will help you to get the right care, in the right place, and often closer to home. You also may be offered a phone or video consultation. Alternatively you can also contact your GP practice during opening hours.
“When your GP practice is closed, during the out-of-hours period and at weekends, please call NHS 24. They will direct you to the right place depending on your medical need. If appropriate an appointment with the GP out-of-hours service will be agreed and scheduled for you.
“If you think you need to visit our Minor Injuries Unit (MIU), for injuries such as cuts, minor burns, sprain or broken bones, you can either come to MIU in person, or contact NHS 24 who will help schedule either a virtual or face to face consultation. Whilst our MIU closes at 9pm, we provide a minor injuries service in the out-of-hours period via our GP out-of-hours service.
“The Medical Assessment Unit (MAU) is staffed by doctors and nurses and provides excellent 24/7 emergency medical care and assessment. Patients can be referred to the MAU by GPs, NHS 24 and the Scottish Ambulance Service.”
An NHS24 spokesperson said: “As with the whole of the NHS across Scotland, demand for NHS24 services has increased as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. There may be times when callers have to wait longer than we would like for their call to be answered.
“Recent planned, national changes to urgent care means people should contact NHS24 prior to attending an Accident and Emergency or Minor Injuries Unit.
“Together with Covid, this has seen the 111 number move from an out-of-hours to a 24/7 service and places additional demand which can fluctuate and affect the time to answer calls when the service is especially busy.
“Ninety five percent of callers to the 111 service will be helped with no requirement for any further call back from NHS24, but may be referred to their local health board for further care.”
For more local news, click here
