Right Care, Right Place, Right Time - Improving Access to Care

On 29 April 2021, Sláintecare hosted the 9th Right Care, Right Place, Right Time, Webinar – ‘‘Improving Access to Care”

This webinar shared stories from Sláintecare funded projects which are having an impact on waiting times/waiting lists and are working to improve the experience of people who use our health and social care services.

Galway University Hospital Community Cardiac Diagnostics (Project ID 469)

Delivery of a Community Cardiac Diagnostics Service in up to five Primary Care / Health Centres providing GP open access referral to echocardiography and R test (heart) monitors that will deliver 40 diagnostic slots per week in the community, resulting in earlier diagnosis and reduction in related referrals to ED.

North Dublin Integrated Community STI Service (Project ID 84)

This project will reduce demands on the acute care system by accessing populations in the community for early intervention and treatment, with the added benefit of preventing the spread of STIs. STI walk-in clinics will be established. These clinics will be established to best serve the needs of the population. All patients requiring advanced care will be referred directly to Mater hospital STI clinic.

The Establishment of Novel Clinical Pathways for Orthopaedic Outpatient Referrals, integration of local community services and multidisciplinary triage (Project ID 324)

As part of a waiting list initiative the MSK Triage and Orthopaedic Department in UHW plan to roll out a Pilot Osteoarthritis (OA) Knee Pathway. The aim of the pathway is to create a more efficient channel into orthopaedics for patients who are more likely to need surgical intervention. The Pilot OA Knee Pathway, once fully operational, can be expanded regionally and with time nationally where sites have access to MSK Triage physiotherapists. It will facilitate a shift from orthopaedics to primary care physiotherapy as the first point in the referral pathway for patients with knee OA. This will reduce the rate of referrals into orthopaedics, ensure a higher conversion-to-surgery rate from OPD consultations and facilitate a reduction in the global orthopaedic OPD waiting list.

Project ANP for development of male LUTs and benign urology – Tallaght University Hospital (Project ID 376)

This project will develop an integrated referral Pathway for Male Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms and develop a secondary care nurse led urology clinic for benign urological symptoms. It will deliver an increasing volume of urological care in the primary care setting, and meet Outpatient Waiting targets.

This webinar was the ninth in a series of webinars and is being hosted by Sláintecare in partnership with HSE and IFIC Ireland.

The full recording of the webinar is available below.