29 May 2008

Emergency Care Project Introduced to Craigavon and Banbridge

A new way of making patient care safer has been introduced to the GP Out of Hours Service and Accident and Emergency Department at Craigavon Area Hospital.

The Emergency Care Record is a summary of patient information taken from GP practices. It includes the patient’s date of birth and gender; their address and phone number; current medication and any known allergies.

The Southern Health and Social Care Trust is the first in Northern Ireland to use the Emergency Care Record.

The project has been successfully operating in Scotland since 2005 and was introduced to the GP Out of Hours Services at South Tyrone Hospital, Dungannon and Mullinure, Armagh in February.

Dr Robert Carlile, Medical Director for the Southern Area Urgent Care Service says: “All diagnoses and treatments carried out by clinicians in GP Out of Hours and A&E services are based on what the patient tells them and any information that is available from previous visits. However, this can carry a degree of risk, particularly if the patient is too ill, confused or traumatised to remember. The Emergency Care Record reduces this risk by giving clinicians specific and current information about the patient which is held at their GP practice.”

Welcoming the Emergency Care Record, Chief Executive of the Southern Health and Social Care Trust, Mr Colm Donaghy said: “The Emergency Care Record gives staff more detailed medical information about their patients, enabling them to make more informed decisions in their treatment and give them the best possible care. Only the health service staff involved in treating the patient will have access to this information and we have stringent measures in place to control access and protect patient confidentiality.”

Each household in Craigavon and Banbridge has received a mailing, giving patients the chance to opt out of the Emergency Care Record. Patients will be asked for their explicit consent to access their Record each time they are being treated by the GP Out of Hours service or at A&E.

In exceptional circumstances where a patient is seriously ill and unable to give consent, the doctor has the discretion to access their Emergency Care Record in the interests of their safe treatment.

It is hoped that the Emergency Care Record will eventually be rolled out across the rest of Northern Ireland.