HOSPITAL bosses are being told to cut the number of patients being seen in accident and emergency departments across Scotland by tens of thousands.

The Scottish Government has set health boards a target to reduce A&E visits by the end of next year as part of a drive to ease the burden on hospitals.

However, with GPs not taking part in out-of-hours care and the creation of telephone helpline NHS 24, the number of patients turning up at A&Es is increasing.

Fears have been raised that the move could lead to sick people being sent away from hospitals.

Dr Jean Turner, executive director of the Scotland Patients Association, said: "I think there is already an element of sending people home to come back again if they have any more problems.

"I do not think this target is going to be easy to achieve, or safe."

Official figures show the number of people going to accident and emergency units reached record levels last year, with more than 1.6 million patients seeking attention.

The Scottish Government had expected health boards to reduce attendances this year but data suggests that since March casualty departments have been busier than ever, with about 140,000 visits a month.

Now managers have been given until 2010-11 to cut numbers - with each board to be given an individual target. They are also expected to cut the number of days spent in hospital for emergency admission patients by 10% from the 2004/05 figures.

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: "We are focusing on A&E because we know some patients attend emergency departments when they could be treated more appropriately and effectively within the community."

Dr Bill Morrison, chairman of the Scottish board of the College of Emergency Medicine, said: "We are generally supportive of this target. We have looked on with concern at the impact of the change in GP out-of-hours arrangements and we have looked on with a lot of discomfort at NHS 24 and how that has panned out.

"We would like to think that those agencies will take this seriously and put plans in place to help."

1 December 2009

Reproduced with the permission of The Evening Times, Glasgow © 2009 Herald & Times Group