Swanage's out-of-hours medical service set to run for a year (From Thisisdorset)

Swanage's out-of-hours medical service set to run for a year

6:30pm Friday 19th March 2010 in

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Swanage's new out-of-hours medical service will initially run for a year, it has been confirmed.

An out-of-hours service was first set up when the town’s hospital’s minor injuries unit (MIU) began to close overnight – but this had been threatened due to funding issues.

Now a new service, for people living in Purbeck who need urgent medical help, will come into operation on April 1.

NHS Dorset associate director of service improvement Russ Pearce, said: “Over the next couple of months, the emergency care practitioners and paramedics will be working closely with local GPs to see how they can proactively improve healthcare.

“For example, they may offer support to patients being rehabilitated after an injury or illness or help with patient assessments.”

A rapid response ambulance car manned by a community paramedic or emergency car practitioner will be based in the area and available 24-hours a day, seven days a week.

They will respond to calls made to the Dorset Out of Hours Medical Service by people needing urgent medical help or advice, but who are not facing a life or death emergency.

NHS chief executive Paul Sly said: “The new service will be run by South Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust, but we will be closely monitoring the contract with an emphasis on safety, access and response times and making sure that effective use is being made of all resources available, including the highly-skilled nurses at Swanage MIU.”

South Dorset MP Jim Knight said: “At a time when the councils are cutting services across Dorset I am extremely grateful that Dorset’s health authorities have decided not to cut this one.

“I must also praise the untiring efforts of local campaigners the Open All Hours Group and Swanage League of Friends who have never given up the fight to keep this service.”