Urgent and emergency care

Urgent same day care to spare half a million more patients unnecessary hospital stays as part of NHS Long Term Plan

Every major hospital will provide urgent same day services to improve care for patients and cut unnecessary admissions by next winter, NHS National Medical Director Professor Stephen Powis said today. Many hospitals are already providing comprehensive care without admitting patients who come to A&E with conditions such as pneumonia or other breathing difficulties through same […]

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Simon Stevens challenges ambulance makers to help ‘blue lights go green’

NHS chief Simon Stevens has today challenged vehicle manufacturers to help “blue lights go green” and cut air pollution by developing more environmentally friendly ambulances. With polluted air causing cancer, lung disease and heart problems and contributing to around 40,000 deaths each year, the NHS England chief executive pledged that the health service will step […]

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Mental health nurses and paramedics to respond together to reduce avoidable hospital admissions

Thousands of Londoners experiencing a mental health crisis will be sent a specialist nurse and a paramedic in a car on blue lights. By responding together, the specialist ambulance crew is expected to reduce mental health hospital admissions from 58,000 to 30,000 per year once it is rolled out across the capital. The London Ambulance […]

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Resources to support safer bowel care for patients at risk of autonomic dysreflexia

A resource Patient Safety Alert has been issued to support safer provision of bowel care for patients at risk of autonomic dysreflexia. Patient Safety Alert – Resources to support safer bowel care for patients at risk of autonomic dysreflexia Patients with spinal cord injury or neurological conditions may have neurogenic bowel dysfunction, which often means […]

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‘Red bags’ to be rolled out across England’s care homes getting patients home from hospital quicker

Innovative ‘red bags’ that help care home residents admitted to hospital be discharged quicker are being rolled out across the country. The bags, which contain key paperwork, medication and personal items like glasses, slippers and dentures, are handed to ambulance crews by carers and travel with patients to hospital where they are then handed to […]

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