Mobile phone pics help emergency NHS 24 diagnosis
A Scottish woman has had a life-threatening condition diagnosed after using a mobile phone to send pictures of her swollen legs to an NHS 24 doctor. Fran Neri, 25, was rushed to hospital after the shocked NHS 24 doctor received the pictures of her swollen legs and immediately sent an ambulance. According to the Scotsman […]
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NHS 24 to take non-emergency 999 calls
Scottish patients who call 999 for an ambulance may end up being called back by staff from the information and advice line, NHS 24, from this spring. A new IT system is being developed so that details of non-urgent calls to the ambulance service can be passed electronically to NHS 24. Its nurses will phone […]
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Minister praises NHS 24’s ‘tireless’ staff
Scotland’s deputy health minister has praised staff who keep the healthcare telephone advice line running over Christmas and the New Year and appealed to the public to use the service responsibly. Lewis Macdonald paid tribute to the tireless work of front-line health staff over the festive season in advance of a visit to NHS 24’s […]
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Scottish ECS proving a success
Launched last summer the Scottish Emergency Care Summary is already proving a success making out-of-hours communications more efficient and effective. Libby Morris, chair of SCIMP told E-Health Insider Primary Care: “Following a public information campaign about the ECS, through leaflets delivered to all 2.5 million households in the country and a further 400,000 copies of […]
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NHS Grampian to get in-car telemedicine
Adastra Software has won a tender to supply its unscheduled care case management software to NHS Grampian, and to provide 12 in-car mobile data terminals. The terminals will run the remote module, Aremote, enabling clinicians to send and receive secure patient information wherever they might be. The contract aims to drive efficiency and reduce data errors by […]
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NHS 24 has improved, says health minister
NHS 24 has undergone ‘radical changes’ in order to improve its service to the public since last year’s review calling for an overhaul of the helpline, Scottish health minister Andy Kerr has claimed. Kerr was speaking at the helpline’s annual review, where he said the service had overcome early difficulties to provide a ‘prompt and […]
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Scots ahead
Fiona Barr looks at how electronic summaries of GP records are already in operation in Scotland, accessible by out of hours providers and with A&E departments soon to be added.
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NHS 24 cuts numbers of ‘call-backs’
Scotland’s health advice helpline NHS 24 has reduced the percentage of ‘call-backs’ to patients to less than 20% from a high of more than 50%, tackling a key area identified by an independent review of the service last year. The health advice and information service says figures for January show that ‘call backs’ to patients, […]
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NHS 24 report calls for radical review of helpline
A radical review of Scotland’s health helpline NHS 24 has recommended using the new volume predictive technology to ensure the best possible match of supply to demand as one of a raft of measures to improve the troubled service. The report – which is highly critical of NHS 24’s board – also says that more […]
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NHS 24 buys knowledge management system
Information and knowledge management consultancy LSC Group is to provide a knowledge management system including geographic information system for NHS 24, the nurse-led telephone advice, assessment and referral service for Scotland. Using the new GIS system NHS 24 staff will be able to better direct staff to the most appropriate location for care and treatment. […]
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