News Release
Re: The King’s Fund Analysis of A&E Waiting Times
In response to The King’s Fund analysis of A&E waiting times, the Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine is fully supportive of a co-ordinated response to help ease the burden on our healthcare system.
John Appelby, Chief Economist, at The King’s Fund concludes in his report on pressures on accident and emergency services: “The pressures in emergency care will not be relieved by focusing on a single aspect of the problem – it requires a co-ordinated response across the whole health system.”
The Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine is calling for the creation of more Sport and Exercise Medicine Doctor posts within the NHS as part of a co-ordinated solution to the issues we are facing in emergency care and across the health system. Particularly after sport or occupational injury and in the prevention and treatment of common diseases.
Dr Rod Jaques, President of the Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine Comments: “We would like to see a co-ordinated approach to improving the long-term health of the public by increasing the specialty of sport and exercise medicine in General Practice, therefore easing the burden on our A&E departments and health services. Part of the solution also lies in the creation of sport and exercise medicine specialists who can work alongside emergency medicine, musculoskeletal clinics and physiotherapists to deliver activity based care and reduce unnecessary referrals and overall expenditure.
Sport and Exercise Medicine specialists have been part of a pilot study that has improved care and cut waiting times for patients with muscular and joint pain, saving the NHS tens of thousands of pounds. The pilot enabled the partnership to deliver 62% more patient care in 2012 than was delivered in 2010, whilst still reducing overall expenditure.
For further information contact:
Beth Cameron, PR & Communications at the Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine
email: pr@fsem.ac.uk, Tel: 0131 527 3498 or 07551903702 Twitter: @FSEM_UK
Faculty of Sports and Exercise Medicine, 1a Hill Square Edinburgh, EH8 9DR