Walk right in. Urgent Care - on demand!
The Princess Grace Hospital
That may sound a touch utopian, but in central London, it has become a reality.
In mid-February 2005, the private Princess Grace Hospital launched, a walk-in medical emergency and minor injuries service. The new Urgent Care Centre on the ground floor of the hospital's Nottingham Place main building, just off the Marylebone Road, is a first of its kind for the capital.
This on-demand emergency service requires no prior appointment and is open every day from 08.00 hrs to 20.00 hrs. It delivers rapid, expert medical attention to patients and is designed to appeal to people who value the time-saving and quality environment of a private hospital based clinical service.
Providing clinical support for a full spectrum of urgent conditions, the Urgent Care Centre will treat soft tissue injuries and fractures, respiratory or heart problems, gastrointestinal issues, as well as neurological conditions.
The Urgent Care Centre's dedicated facilities include four treatment rooms, X-ray equipment, plaster room and a reception area, as well as access to the extensive resources of the 110-bed Princess Grace Hospital and its five sister HCA International hospitals nearby.
At The Princess Grace Hospital's new Urgent Care Centre, direct access to diagnostic, specialists and treatment is all in place.
As Susan Smith, the hospital's chief executive, explains "Our consultants, surgeons and specialist nursing staff, and the full range of on-site diagnostic imaging facilities - including some of the most advanced equipment in the country - will be quickly available for patients at the Urgent Care Centre".
As is the usual practice with all HCA hospitals, a patient's GP will be kept fully informed of any assessment and treatment provided.
The new service is available to any person over 18 years of age with any ailment requiring urgent care and who can make their own way to a health care facility of their choice. (The hospital has not applied for a licence from the Healthcare Commission to care for 'children' in this setting.)
There is an initial £100 registration and assessment fee and patients are provided with a price list outlining the cost of any additional services and facilities that may be required as part of a treatment plan. Payments can be made in cash or by credit or debit card.
Meeting An Identified Need
According to the Princess Grace, part of HCA International's central London general and specialist hospital facilities, the Urgent Care Centre fulfils a need identified both by individuals and businesses.
"Our research amongst medical colleagues, individuals - particularly the self-employed - large employers and other businesses such as hotels, shows they would value having available a one-stop medical service with direct access to hospital facilities for all medical specialities", says Susan Smith.
The Urgent Care Centre expects patients to be seen by a doctor within 15 minutes of arrival at the Centre's reception desk.
Public demand for hospital A&E departments has reportedly risen dramatically and research last year for the NHS by MORI ("Interest in Medical Centres for Commuters") indicates that people working in the capital will appreciate having access to rapid expert medical attention with no appointments necessary.
"That research referred to possible free medical centres at or near to mainline rail stations, but significantly it underlines the fact that people do want a more immediate, responsive service when they feel unwell or suffer an injury, and a service which is convenient for their life-style", Susan Smith added.
Providing a medical choice
Some individuals will choose to self-refer. But The Princess Grace Hospital expects that most people will result from GPs offering the choice of attendance at the Urgent Care Centre to patients who need immediate consultation and attention, and who can afford the service.
Patients with chest pains or breathing problems, for example, or who require a series of tests or an x-ray, for possible bone damage, can be referred to the Urgent Care Centre just as easily as an NHS A&E department. They will have the added certainty of being seen quickly by qualified staff for assessment and if necessary treat, or involve a specialist to review and admit as required.
Occupational Health specialists also see the value in ensuring that key staff and visitors are diagnosed and treated quickly by specialists when a medical emergency or accident occurs on their premises. Looking after staff by seeing that they receive prompt attention in times of health need is good for business, both in terms of relationships and company efficiency.
To protect their reputations as caring services, organisations dealing with the public in large numbers - tourist attractions and hotels, for example - will be keen to ensure clients who may feel unwell or who have an accident, quickly receive medical attention and the Urgent Care Centre will provide that prompt, expert service.
The Urgent Care Centre works in conjunction with GPs and in-house company medical officers by offering a choice for people requiring immediate attention for illnesses, ailments and minor injuries that do not require an emergency ambulance.
If for some reason, someone cannot be treated, doctors at the Centre will assess the condition, stabilise and refer the person to the NHS on an emergency basis, as appropriate. The Centre will not deal with major accidents, polytrauma and multiple injury cases, where NHS A&E Departments excel.
Wide resources available
Susan Smith explains: "In addition to our substantial on-site facilities and 110 beds, there is fast access to other specialist care services such as cardiology, obstetrics, orthopaedic and neurology provided by The Princess Grace or its sister hospitals nearby with a further 500 beds.
"The private sector has always offered a choice for people who wish to rapidly receive individual assessment and treatment and the Urgent Care Centre is well placed to provide a medical emergency and minor injury service as an extension to the established, expert and extensive services available at The Princess Grace Hospital", she adds.
Patients may be able to claim for any follow-up treatment from a Company private health care insurance scheme or through a personal accident policy, although not for initial consultation and treatment at the Urgent Care Centre.
The concept of private emergency care has been welcomed by the Royal College of Nursing's A&E nursing association, which is reported to have said "it's a good alternative for people who can afford to pay for it, because the system is overburdened". And the RCN added: "Whether it's for profit or not, health care has got to be about providing the public with what they need", rather than the way in which it has traditionally been done.
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