RCP Comment On NCEPOD Report 'Emergency Admissions: A Journey In The Right Direction?' - UK

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 15 Oct 2007 - 4:00 PDT

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The Royal College of Physicians welcomes this report and supports any initiative that results in improved standards of patient care.

The College's forthcoming report 'Acute medical care: the right person, in the right setting, first time' covers many of the same issues dealt with in the NCEPOD report, and in some instances takes NCEPOD recommendations forward.

In line with the NCEPOD report, the Royal College of Physicians agrees that patients with acute medical illness should get immediate access to competent clinical decision makers at the front-line of acute medical services, and that out-of-hours diagnostic facilities should be expanded to support acute care. Furthermore, the College supports the notion that clinical assessment, clinical documentation, and clinical management of common acute medical conditions should be standardised nationally to reflect best practice.

The Royal College of Physicians report recommends that new models of working are predicated on ensuring that adequate levels of competent clinical decision makers are present to staff dedicated acute medical units, and that time is included in shift patterns for junior medical staff to ensure there is a formal handover of care.

One of the great challenges of reforming acute medical services is the need to provide round the clock continuity of care. We are pleased that the report confirms that physicians are seeing patients earlier, and that in nearly 84% of medical cases the time to first consultant review was acceptable, and in only 4% of cases reviewed was there a delay that may have adversely affected patient care.

The Royal College of Physicians recognises that the NCEPOD report and its own report on acute medical care are complementary. If implemented, the recommendations in both reports will make a major contribution to improving quality of care at a time of heightened patient need, a time when the highest standards of clinical care are critical to gaining the best outcomes for patients.

-- Emergency Admissions: A journey in the right direction?

Royal College of Physicians of London

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