http://www.thecourier.co.uk/output/2009/07/29/newsstory13528460t0.asp
Wait in cars, flu symptom patients are told
By Marjory Inglis, health reporter
NHS TAYSIDE defended its swine flu response last night after patients with symptoms were told to wait in their cars before being escorted in to a Dundee health centre wearing masks.
Doctors and nurses wearing protective gowns, masks and gloves met patients in the car park at Wallacetown Health Centre on Monday and issued them with face masks in a bid to avoid spreading infection.
One health worker said, ?It is a bit Victorian what they are doing.?
A mother in Wallacetown car park last night said the whole reaction to swine flu was ?over the top? and hinted that not everybody was suffering as badly as they might make out.
However, a Broughty Ferry mother said the situation was ?terrifying? for young children.
She said in one local practice anyone with symptoms that doctors want to check out in person are told they have to come to the venue between five and six o?clock when the routine surgery is over.
?They are met by a doctor and nurse wearing masks and gowns and rubber gloves,? she said.
The mother said if patients called the practice and staff were ?pretty sure? over the phone the diagnosis was swine flu, they were advised to send somebody to pick up a prescription.
?A nurse friend told me that if they are not sure and worried it could be tonsillitis or pneumonia, they have to see these patients in order to make sure they are not misdiagnosing over the phone,? she added.
The woman added, ?That is when they are turning up and being met by staff wearing masks and gowns and gloves.?
An NHS Tayside spokeswoman defended measures taken to prevent the spread of the virus.
She said, ?The out-of-hours service at Wallacetown was extremely busy over the public holiday on Monday with 191 calls to the service, which is three times more than we would usually see on a public holiday.
?A number of these calls were from patients who had flu symptoms and a small number of them were asked to come to Wallacetown to see a doctor.
?Due to the number of people in the waiting room we took the precaution of sending doctors and nurses to collect patients from their cars and bring them in to an isolated treatment room.
?The doctors and nurses followed appropriate infection control measures and gave these patients masks which were worn in to the health centre. These temporary additional infection control measures were to help reduce the potential spread of the virus and worked well.
?However as the number of potential H1N1 infections may increase over the coming weeks, we will be looking at how we can continue to manage the developing situation.?
Wait in cars, flu symptom patients are told
By Marjory Inglis, health reporter
NHS TAYSIDE defended its swine flu response last night after patients with symptoms were told to wait in their cars before being escorted in to a Dundee health centre wearing masks.
Doctors and nurses wearing protective gowns, masks and gloves met patients in the car park at Wallacetown Health Centre on Monday and issued them with face masks in a bid to avoid spreading infection.
One health worker said, ?It is a bit Victorian what they are doing.?
A mother in Wallacetown car park last night said the whole reaction to swine flu was ?over the top? and hinted that not everybody was suffering as badly as they might make out.
However, a Broughty Ferry mother said the situation was ?terrifying? for young children.
She said in one local practice anyone with symptoms that doctors want to check out in person are told they have to come to the venue between five and six o?clock when the routine surgery is over.
?They are met by a doctor and nurse wearing masks and gowns and rubber gloves,? she said.
The mother said if patients called the practice and staff were ?pretty sure? over the phone the diagnosis was swine flu, they were advised to send somebody to pick up a prescription.
?A nurse friend told me that if they are not sure and worried it could be tonsillitis or pneumonia, they have to see these patients in order to make sure they are not misdiagnosing over the phone,? she added.
The woman added, ?That is when they are turning up and being met by staff wearing masks and gowns and gloves.?
An NHS Tayside spokeswoman defended measures taken to prevent the spread of the virus.
She said, ?The out-of-hours service at Wallacetown was extremely busy over the public holiday on Monday with 191 calls to the service, which is three times more than we would usually see on a public holiday.
?A number of these calls were from patients who had flu symptoms and a small number of them were asked to come to Wallacetown to see a doctor.
?Due to the number of people in the waiting room we took the precaution of sending doctors and nurses to collect patients from their cars and bring them in to an isolated treatment room.
?The doctors and nurses followed appropriate infection control measures and gave these patients masks which were worn in to the health centre. These temporary additional infection control measures were to help reduce the potential spread of the virus and worked well.
?However as the number of potential H1N1 infections may increase over the coming weeks, we will be looking at how we can continue to manage the developing situation.?