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I think the initiative is laudable. We know that on a regular Friday or Saturday night, the NHS is already struggling with waiting time up to 4 hours in hospi

by kaisix 7y ago

I think the initiative is laudable. We know that on a regular Friday or Saturday night, the NHS is already struggling with waiting time up to 4 hours in hospitals and low bed capacity. Mass COVID-19 infections would certainly cripple the NHS in no time. Yet, the problem is how do we ensure that those 250K volunteers do not become carriers of COVID-19 ?

gorgoiler 7y ago
It doesn’t seem like their roles would be replacing any workers in hospitals etc. This is a call to mobilize the last miles between people at home and pharmacies?
timthorn 7y ago
> the NHS is already struggling with waiting time up to 4 hours in hospitals Interestingly, my local hospital emailed today and said that "Emergency Department attendance figures have fallen by 130 cases per day, or around 40% as a result of this crisis"
- ketzo 7y ago
  A friend made the surprising point to me that a hugely helpful element of quarantine is reducing traumatic injury across the board -- dramatic reduction in DUIs, car accidents, construction accidents, things that take beds in the ER.
- kaisix 7y ago
  Not surprising at this stage. In the aftermath of the pandemic, it would be more interesting to see how exactly self isolation, the curb on social gatherings or nosocomephobia have impacted hospital attendance.
- Engineering-MD 7y ago
  Yeah, I’ve noticed this to a degree, if it’s because people are scared to go to hospital and catch it, which is a reasonable risk. Hospital caught COVID infections are confirmed and hospital acquired infections in general are pretty common.
GordonS 7y ago
up to 4 hours? I recently had the misfortune to be rushed to A&E in an ambulance on a Friday night, and waited for 6 hours. When I was finally seen by a doctor, he "mentioned" that if I'd been waiting much longer I might have lost at least some use of my hand. He also said that, at least in my neck of the woods, it's not unusual to wait up to 8 hours on a Friday/Saturday evening.
- DanBC 7y ago
  For people outside England who are wondering what the 4 hour thing is about: (all of this is before covid-19, which is having a devastating effect on A&E) The NHS has a waiting time target in emergency departments where 95% of patients are seen, transferred or discharged in under 4 hours. For some time that target has not been met. In many places it was down to just 85% of patients being seen, transferred or discharged within 4 hours. A while ago we were comfortable with that because we know a bunch of people who shouldn't be at A&E turn up there, and it's safe for them to wait. But more recently we've seen that people who should be waiting, people at risk of harm, have had to wait longer. If you like spreadsheets there are loads here, giving details of A&E attendance across England and with details of 4 hour waits. https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ae-waiting-times-and-activity/ae-attendances-and-emergency-admissions-2019-20/ https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas...

by kaisix 7y ago

gorgoiler 7y ago

It doesn’t seem like their roles would be replacing any workers in hospitals etc. This is a call to mobilize the last miles between people at home and pharmacies?

timthorn 7y ago

> the NHS is already struggling with waiting time up to 4 hours in hospitals Interestingly, my local hospital emailed today and said that "Emergency Department attendance figures have fallen by 130 cases per day, or around 40% as a result of this crisis"

ketzo 7y ago
A friend made the surprising point to me that a hugely helpful element of quarantine is reducing traumatic injury across the board -- dramatic reduction in DUIs, car accidents, construction accidents, things that take beds in the ER.
kaisix 7y ago
Not surprising at this stage. In the aftermath of the pandemic, it would be more interesting to see how exactly self isolation, the curb on social gatherings or nosocomephobia have impacted hospital attendance.
Engineering-MD 7y ago
Yeah, I’ve noticed this to a degree, if it’s because people are scared to go to hospital and catch it, which is a reasonable risk. Hospital caught COVID infections are confirmed and hospital acquired infections in general are pretty common.

GordonS 7y ago

up to 4 hours? I recently had the misfortune to be rushed to A&E in an ambulance on a Friday night, and waited for 6 hours. When I was finally seen by a doctor, he "mentioned" that if I'd been waiting much longer I might have lost at least some use of my hand. He also said that, at least in my neck of the woods, it's not unusual to wait up to 8 hours on a Friday/Saturday evening.

DanBC 7y ago
For people outside England who are wondering what the 4 hour thing is about: (all of this is before covid-19, which is having a devastating effect on A&E) The NHS has a waiting time target in emergency departments where 95% of patients are seen, transferred or discharged in under 4 hours. For some time that target has not been met. In many places it was down to just 85% of patients being seen, transferred or discharged within 4 hours. A while ago we were comfortable with that because we know a bunch of people who shouldn't be at A&E turn up there, and it's safe for them to wait. But more recently we've seen that people who should be waiting, people at risk of harm, have had to wait longer. If you like spreadsheets there are loads here, giving details of A&E attendance across England and with details of 4 hour waits. https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ae-waiting-times-and-activity/ae-attendances-and-emergency-admissions-2019-20/ https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas...