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May 2020

Health

Harrogate hospital moves online for some consultations

Published: 26 May 2020, 17:45 BST

by Connor Creaghan

The hospital said it is trialling the technology across a number of departments where it is appropriate and it could stay in place after coronavirus.

Harrogate District Hospital is moving some of its consultations online to help patients during the coronavirus pandemic.

The hospital said it is trialling the technology across a number of departments where it is appropriate and it could stay in place after coronavirus.

However, the hospital said that it can make arrangements for face to face appointments if necessary, with referrals reviewed as soon as they are received.

Those patients with a high clinical need will be seen as soon as possible and suspected cancer referrals will be given the highest priority.

Patients are directly advised if they are eligible for video consultation and they can then choose if they wish to use the service.

Clinical Lead Nurse for Cardiology, Emma Edgar, said:

“Recently, a cardiology patient contacted me as he had a recurrence of his heart rhythm problem. I made an appointment for him in my clinic and we had a video consultation during which I was able to assess the problem and come up with a treatment plan.”

Clinical Informatics Lead at the Trust Dr Matt Shepherd said:

“We are all currently having to adapt to new ways of working and it is important that we make use of every opportunity to support our patients. Our priority is always to give the best quality care and we are pleased to be able to offer this as an option to our patients, where appropriate.”