New service reduces visits to emergency departments in Cork hospitals

The HSE has said that a new initiative in the Cork and Kerry region has reduced the number of emergency department (ED) visits in the region by almost 300 over the past month.

The HSE South West Urgent Virtual Care (UVC) service, which has operated out of Cork University Hospital (CUH) since the start of November, has in that time prevented hundreds of attendances at EDs across Cork and Kerry, the health service said.

The UVC is a new service that allows GPs and paramedics to consult directly by phone or by video call with a senior medical decision maker in emergency medicine or geriatric medicine.

Since it began on November 4, the service has dealt with over 410 referrals, and 69% of those patients have been helped to avoid attending an ED by being directed to another pathway.

This means that, as a result of the UVC service, more than 280 people have avoided ED in the last month.

The service is run by a dedicated team of senior clinicians and support staff who provide virtual consultations and assessment from a centralised hub in CUH.

While the hub is located at Cork University Hospital, it accepts referrals from GPs and paramedics across the HSE South West region.

Working through the use of telephone and video consultations with GPs and paramedics, an expert team of clinical staff assesses the healthcare needs of eligible patients, in some cases, while patients remain in the comfort of their homes.

In many cases, that team can facilitate pathways to ongoing care for the patients, bypassing the ED.

Welcoming the UVC service, Dr Audrey Russell, GP lead and SouthDoc chairperson, said it presented GPs with alternative care pathways for their patients.

“We know that the emergency department may not always be suitable for our patients’ needs, but is often the only resource left to us,” she said.

“The UVC provides us with the opportunity to discuss the best and most appropriate care options for our patients.

“It helps to identify alternate pathways for those patients that don’t require emergency care.”

Professor Conor Deasy, clinical director of emergency and acute care at CUH, said the UVC service was a welcome addition to his department’s offering.

“We are committed to improving patient experience, and we aim to ensure patients get the right care, by the right clinicians, at the right time,” he said.

The UVC service runs Monday to Friday from 10am until 6pm.

Referrals to the UVC can be made by GPs and paramedics only.