Self-check-inintroducedat casualty

She made the comments after the hospital installed the new easy-to-use self-streaming system for checking in and reporting their condition using a touch screen kiosk.

“As part of the Western Trust’s commitment to the Unscheduled Care Improvement programme, the Trust strives to find ways in which to modernise its services in line with evidence-based practice and research in efforts to ensure that up to 95% patients complete their emergency care journey within four hours,” said Ms McKay.

“We are delighted to be the first HSC Trust in Northern Ireland to offer this latest technology to our ED patients and we hope that this new system will help to minimise lengthy waiting times for triage in our Emergency Department where possible,” she added.

Gavin O’Neill, Consultant in Emergency Medicine based at Altnagelvin Hospital is reminding the public to consider the best way to get medical help to assess and quickly treat their illness/ailment.  

“Depending on the severity of the illness, patients may wish to speak to a local pharmacist or consult their local GP or GP Out of Hours services in the first instance. However, if you or a family member suspect what you are experiencing is of a more serious nature then do not hesitate to attend the hospital’s Emergency Department or call 999 if necessary.”

The kiosks will be located in the reception area of Altnagelvin’s ED and can be used by patients over the age of 14 who self-present. The new system uses one touch technology to let patients input information easily and discreetly and will allow patients more privacy if they do not wish to discuss their illness/problem with the ED reception staff. The information that patients enter using the kiosks is automatically matched to the patient record on the Trust’s Patient Administration System. They are also asked a series of questions about their condition and to score their pain level.