HOW
DO I....
CONTACT REDDOC ?
When patients ring their own surgery after ordinary working hours the surgery
answering message will give the telephone number to contact REDDOC.
In some cases the call may be directly transferred. The call will be answered
at the REDDOC operations centre at Wokingham Hospital where experienced call handlers
are on duty. The patient's details are taken and logged onto the computer
system and are passed to the doctor on duty at the centre. This doctor is
known as the Triage doctor and he or she will ring the patient back within
a short time to discuss the problem in detail and advise in one of the following
ways:
1. The Triage doctor may give advice as to the suitable management of the
patient's problem over the telephone if the doctor believes that there is
no need for the patient to see a doctor at this time.
2. The Triage doctor may advise that the patient should be invited to attend
the REDDOC Primary Care Centre at the Royal Berkshire Hospital to see one of the doctors
on duty there. (The Triage doctor believes that the patient should be seen
by a doctor and that the patient's condition will not be adversely affected
by travel to the centre.)
3. The Triage doctor may tell the patient to stay at home while arrangements
are made for one of the doctors on mobile duty to make a home visit. (The
Triage doctor believes that the patient¨s condition does need to be assessed
by a doctor and that deterioration could be caused by travel to the centre.)
4. Occasionally the Triage doctor may feel that a problem requires very
urgent admission to hospital and will arrange for an emergency ambulance
to be sent as well as arranging for a doctor to attend. NB: If a patient
is given telephone advice and later feels that circumstances have changed,
the Triage doctor will always accept a further call for reassessment of
the situation. REDDOC deals with some 40,000 calls every year and the doctors and staff are experienced
in dealing with medical problems of all kinds. All telephone calls to REDDOC are voice-recorded for patient's safety and a complete record of all calls
is kept for 10 years.
HOW
DO I....
ATTEND THE PRIMARY CARE CENTRE ?
The Primary Care Centre is situated on the ground floor of
the Maternity Block at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Craven Road, Reading,
and is clearly sign-posted. When patients have been advised to attend the
centre their details will be sent there immediately. Patients will be advised
of any likely waiting time. The centre is staffed by at least one nurse
and one doctor and more at the weekends or at busy times. The facilities
include a large waiting area with a television and children's play area.
Patients are seen in complete privacy and there are facilities for performing
laboratory tests and electrocardiograms. REDDOC doctors can discuss difficult problems with hospital medical staff if necessary
and patients can be admitted to hospital directly from the centre when appropriate.
HOW
DO I....
OBTAIN A HOME VISIT ?
When REDDOC is operating, some doctors are on duty in their vehicles attending patients
whose condition requires a home visit. There are never less than two vehicles
with drivers and there may be up to four vehicles on duty at busy times.
The details of each patient requiring a visit are sent by radio printer
to the vehicle and the doctor will prioritise the urgency of each call.The REDDOC vehicles carry an extensive range of medication and life-saving equipment
(including defibrillators). The vehicles are in radio contact with the REDDOC operations room and the position of each vehicle is constantly monitored
on computer screens by the operations room controller.
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