Urgent care services - Near Me in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde's flow navigation centre: good practice example

Patient Stories

Patient A, an older resident of a care home, had stumbled when transferring from their bed to a chair which had resulted in a wound to the inner mouth. Patient A's carer had called with concerns that stitching may be required to close the wound which would therefore result in attendance at a hospital setting. A Near Me video consultation allowed for a clear assessment of the wound. The FNC clinician ascertained that the wound was fairly superficial and as such did not require closure. This removed the need for ED or MIU attendance. Advice was given regarding cleaning the affected area and care home staff commented that the Near Me consultation had reassured them of the wound management required going forward.

Patient B was in their mid 40s and had suffered a head injury three days prior to their contact with the FNC. Patient B had previously been seen in an ED and discharged with head injury warning advice. The patient had become concerned and called NHS 24 due to a lack of concentration ability. Concerns were also noted regarding ongoing headaches despite this being relieved

Patient C was a young man who sustained a wound to his hand when attempting to open a glass jar smashed. He called 999 late into the evening after his local MIU was closed. He was very anxious and scared as he could not stop his hand from bleeding. He felt he needed to go to hospital urgently. The consultation was passed to NHS 24 and directed to the FNC. Using Near Me the clinician was able to assess the wound and instruct the patient on first aid measures. The bleeding was stopped and the patient had an appropriate dressing at home. The video conference facility enabled the clinician to constantly reassure and calm the patient. Robust safety netting advice was given and the clinician arranged a follow up consultation at the MIU early the next morning. This allowed the patient to have his wound reviewed by a specialist nurse without requiring an ambulance or the need to attend the busy ED out of hours.