The Patients Association Response to Out of Hours Recommendations
4th February, 2010 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
“LONG OVERDUE”
PATIENTS ASSOCIATION WELCOMES OUT OF HOURS RECOMMENDATIONS
The Patients Association welcomes the recommendation of the Government’s review of out of hours care which is “long overdue”.
“There is absolutely no reason why out of hours care should have lesser standards of safety than any other part of the NHS” said Katherine Murphy, Director. “We have called repeatedly for Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) to take their legal responsibilities seriously. The dangers were common knowledge. It has taken countless cases of unnecessary tragedy for families in the UK to get to this: a verdict of ‘unlawful killing’ in the inquest into Mr. David Gray’s death. There must be no more.
The urgency of the out of hours situation is critical. Every PCT or equivalent throughout the UK should reassure their patients that the out of hours service for which they are paying is safe. The credibility of primary care is at stake.
But the dangers caused by lack of familiarity with language, drug names or systems apply to the whole of the NHS, and patients need to know that any doctor or nurse treating them is known to be competent and safe.”
Note to Editors: Claire Rayner, President, Patients Association will be available from 4.30-5.00pm today only, at Millbank, SW1. More information, please contact 0208 423 9111.
