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Patients By-Passing GP's Making A&E Pressures Worse

Senior A&E staff say extra pressure is put on A & E Departments because of people's impatience to see a Doctor coupled with too much demand for GP appointments.

Extra pressure is put on A & E Departments because of people's impatience to see a doctor coupled with high demand for GP appointments.

That's what some senior staff working for the emergency services have told 大象传媒 Radio Northampton. They say that if more patients go to see their GP it would ease the pressure, but patients are not willing to wait for a doctor's appointment.

Reporter Elinor Cross shadowed Northampton General Hospital's A&E department and paramedics working in Northamptonshire, and reports on what she was told. Stuart talks to Rosie Newbigging from "Healthwatch", the new consumer champion for people using healthcare services in Northamptonshire, and to Dr Judith Dawson, a GP and the Urgent Care Lead for the Nene Clinical Commissioning Group.

* research by the British Council suggests a lack of language and cultural skills gets many of us in trouble when we travel overseas

* planning permission is sought for a hydropower scheme in East Northamptonshire

* Northamptonshire County Council staff are working to rule in a protest against having new terms and conditions imposed on them

* Northampton is to have it's own Acupuncture College when the Open International College for Complementary Therapies opens in September as a centre of excellence for alternative medicine courses

* Northamptonshire Steelbacks keep their semi-final hopes alive in the YB40 with a five-wicket win over Kent Spitfires

3 hours

Broadcast

  • Wed 14 Aug 2013 06:00

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Discover incredible stories about life in Northamptonshire during WW1