Health bosses have promised no one will be turned away from the Vale Hospital’s out-of-hours unit because they haven’t called NHS 24 first.
Hospitalwatch campaign group met NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde chiefs last week for crunch talks after an Alexandria woman - who was later found to have septicaemia - was turned away from the Vale and forced to get a taxi to Paisley’s Royal Alexandra Hospital for treatment.
Val McLean, from Middleton Street, felt so unwell she had to sit down on the ground outside the Vale as her husband pleaded with staff to let her in.
The health board have since apologised following the incident in June but Jim Moohan of Hospitalwatch and MSP Jackie Baillie have led calls for action to ensure it never happens again.
Welcoming the development latest Jim Moohan said: “When I look back on the last six weeks it was a good time to get a clear position from the management in relation to where we stood.
“To be fair to the health board, they fully understood the problem with the buzzer which left people waiting before being sent away was not acceptable.
“The health board totally understood that people were hanging on to NHS 24 for 90 minutes at times which, from our position for the community, was totally unacceptable.
“People can now go up, press the buzzer, tell the individual inside what the problem is and they will be asked if they have contacted NHS 24. Even if they haven’t they will be allowed entrance. That’s a big change.”
Jim added: “The recent case sent a blunt message home to the board that people attending the hospital don’t do so for no reason. They attend because they need assistance. People went up and were challenged because they hadn’t phoned NHS 24 and were ultimately turned away.
“That could have had tragic consequences.
“The message has now been hammered home loud and clear.
“If this can stop that kind of outrageous situation happening then everybody will be happy.”
While pleased with the development, Moohan hopes that the health board will better publicise the services available at the Vale.
He continued: “The health board gave me a commitment that they’ll send out a communication to the public. The existing newsletter only went to 460 addresses.
“As I’m concerned it has to be fully broadcast.
“That will help the public know how best to access the facilities.
“We hammered home the lack of communications that caused potentially major incidents.”
A spokesperson for NHSGGC said: “Our Clyde Director Melanie McColgan had a productive, informal meeting with Jim Moohan from Hospitalwatch this week to discuss some questions he had about how patients were being managed at the ‘front door’ of the Vale of Leven Hospital.
“It is important that patients continue to access services at the Vale of Leven Hospital through the agreed routes including calling 111 before accessing MIU or the GP out of hours service.
“However, it was confirmed that screening at the external door will be purely for the purposes of determining whether patients have Covid symptoms or not. This is for the safety and wellbeing of patients and staff alike.
“We will also develop some local communications to ensure people are fully informed on how to access services at the Vale and avoid any confusion.”
Dumbarton MSP Jackie Baillie added: "I raised this with Jonathan Best of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde after constituents in need of emergency care were turned away from the Vale of Leven hospital.
“It is unacceptable that local people have not been able to access emergency care either due to the delays in getting through to NHS 111 or due to rules that force people to remain outside until they have an appointment. The health board have promised that it won’t happen again.
“I understand why calling NHS 111 before attending hospital may be useful, but the service is simply not good enough, with local people waiting up to an hour on the phone. In these circumstances emergency care should not be denied. I am glad that the health board have seen sense.”
