A consultant geriatrician at Roscommon hospital says he hopes a new arrangement will able to stop some older people being treated unnecessarily in Emergency Departments.
Dr Gerry O' Mara was commenting today on a scheme that will see some patients being brought directly to Roscommon hospital if they meet strict criteria.
The Medical Assessment Unit in Roscommon currently treats patients referred by GP's and the main difference now is that this referral pathway is being extended to paramedics working with the ambulance service.
Dr O' Mara says while he doesn't expect the new scheme will have any significant impact on overcrowding, it may prevent some older patients having to lie on trolleys for a number of days in an Emergency Department.
"The overall aim is to prevent a few, if possible, elderly patients from spending a few days on a trolley in an emergency department when they could be managed safely at Roscommon Hospital. We don't have any intensive care, we don't have anesthetics after 5pm, we don't have coronary care, we don't look after acute strokes so we'll take anyone if they're not for resuscitation, with any problem. The aim is to bypass the ED and make sure to get elderly patients in who can be safely managed without escalation of care".
