John Culatto
PEOPLE attending the Accident and Emergency Clinic at St Bernard’s Hospital will now be able to see how long they have to wait to see a doctor.
A new live feed system will give patients updates every half hour to prevent long waits at the Rock’s drop-in medical service.
It will also funnel urgent or life-threatening cases to the top of the pile, the Gibraltar Health Authority said in a statement.
Gibraltar Health Authority (GHA) Director General, Patrick Geoghegan, said the new online system ‘allows patients to make an informed choice about whether or not it is more appropriate to attend A&E or seek treatment or advice elsewhere.’
The live feed will be available for all to see on the GHA website.
The authority ‘strongly encouraged’ those with less serious issues to get help via the 111 telephone number, visit a pharmacy or get an appointment at the Primary Care Centre located on the site.
“I’m delighted that the GHA have launched the A&E live feed, which empowers patients to make an informed decision about how to seek and access care,” Minister for Health Albert Isola said.
GHA staff have long highlighted how people use the A&E as a drop-in doctor for any complaint as opposed to getting an appointment at the PCC.
Under the knife
In a separate development, surgeons at St Bernard’s hospital will soon be able to operate using new top-of-the-range equipment that has started to arrive in Gibraltar.
The new tools will replace outdated machinery at the Rock’s only public hospital, giving users better options from diagnosis to treatment.
Geoghegan said the ‘the really impressive’ equipment would ‘make an important difference to patients at each stage of the treatment process.’
The modernization is part of the post-pandemic Reset, Restart Recover strategy.
Geoghegan added that the goal was to have ‘the highest possible level of care.’
It will be fitted in coming weeks and be usable soon.
‘This top-of-the-range equipment demonstrates the commitment of the GHA to invest in providing the best care to patients now and in the future,” Albert Isola, Gibraltar’s health and care minister said.
