Patient transport (Kirsty Williams AM )

Cymraeg
English

Kirsty Williams AM <info@kirstywilliams.org.uk>

Patient transport

September 11, 2009 12:00 AM
By Kirsty Williams AM in County Times 11th September 2009

This week I was appalled to learn of the case of a lady in her nineties who had suffered a fall in her home in Radnorshire. If the trauma of the accident wasn't enough to deal with, another nasty shock awaited her following her treatment at A&E Department.

Following the fall, the alarm was raised and an Ambulance took the patient to the nearest A&E. By the time the staff at Hereford Hospital had attended to her and told her she could go home it was 1 o'clock in the morning. When she asked how she should do so, the patient was given the unenviable choice of waiting in a chair overnight until a car became available the next morning or getting a taxi! Over an hour later and £65 poorer the lady arrived home. This incident follows other cases recently where I have learnt of other constituents being discharged from hospital and being brought home by taxi's whilst still in their pyjamas.

Many people who read this column know that have often raised the issue of the Ambulance service, but I do so usually in the context of response times for emergency calls. However it seems to me we need a much wider debate about how people in Radnorshire get to and fro from hospitals many of which are a considerable distance away. Many of us can rely on family and friends to assist, but some of us are not so lucky. As my constituent found out a single journey can make a hefty dent in your budget, as can recurrent trips for those who have chronic and on going health problems.

Firstly I believe it would be easier, cheaper and greener if we could ensure that as many people could be treated as locally as possible. That's why I want to see a new dialysis unit in Llandrindod and why I am having discussions about how we can get more cancer treatments locally. Tenovus the Cancer Charity actually run a chemotherapy bus in Supermarket car parks in South Wales! Wouldn't it be wonderful if local people who need to make multiple journeys's to receive chemotherapy at hospital could do that in their own community?

In emergency cases like the one above we need to give our paramedics the tools to be able to treat people locally and involve other NHS and social care staff in a 24 hour system that requires only the very seriously ill to be taken to A&E.

Secondly we need to look carefully at the role the voluntary sector currently plays in getting people to appointments. We are blessed in the area with the Community Support and Car schemes much of whose work is in the health field. Surely the time has come for these organisations efforts to be recognised by statutory agencies and that they be funded accordingly and their skills and enthusiasm utilised.

Finally is it too much to expect that a standby vehicle or even a small overnight facility be available that can be called upon in exceptional cases. I will await answers to the questions I have asked the relevant authorities with great interest!