100,000 visits to nurse-led clinics

NURSE-led clinics have become so popular in the Lothians that more than 100,000 people are now visiting them every year, easing the pressure on GPs and casualty departments.

The facilities have nearly doubled their intake in the past four years, new figures revealed today.

Theressa Fyffe, the director of the Royal College of Nursing in Scotland, said: "We welcome the increase in the number of patients attending nurse-led clinics over the last four years, both in Lothian and across Scotland.

"These figures clearly show that the public are increasingly attending these clinics, led by highly experienced nurses, which deliver safe, high-quality care."

The statistics were released by ISD Scotland, and showed that there has been a continued rise in patients attending places such as the minor injuries unit at the Western General.

While NHS Lothian still lags behind other, smaller health boards for setting up the clinics – such as the NHS in Lanarkshire – the trend is encouraging.

Ms Fyffe said the clinics could be an effective way for health chiefs to save money in future years, by handing nurses more responsibility and expanding their skills at the same time.

She added: "At a time when health boards are struggling to find savings to balance their books, specialist nurses and nurse-led clinics contribute substantial savings through reduced complications, fewer hospital re-admissions and the expert long term management of conditions. They also provide many patients and families with a lifeline which no other service can offer.

"Nurse-led clinics should continue to be a growing part of NHS Scotland, as they bring both patient and financial benefits to the service."

Officials at ISD Scotland said the true figures of people attending could be even higher, given some did not properly complete return forms.

The types of nurse-led facilities run across the area ranges from travel clinics for vaccinations to a nursing service for hepatitis C.

Patients with diabetes, asthma and various other conditions can also visit there instead of a GP or hospital.

NHS Lothian's nurse director Melanie Hornett said: "Across NHS Lothian we have invested in increasing the number of specialist nurses who are able to take on additional clinical roles, such as running nurse-led clinics. By increasing the amount of nurse-led activity across both primary and acute care, patients are benefiting from faster access to specialised care.

"Many specialist nurses are also qualified prescribers which means prescribing medicines for patients is more timely."