UNFAMILIAR technology and confused patients are being blamed for the problematic start that has plagued a new out-of-hours medical service.

One month after the Dorset-wide emergency service was launched, health professionals are reporting a number of "teething problems."

The service got off to a controversial start on its first day when two elderly residents at a Bourne-mouth rest home waited 15-and-a-half hours to see a doctor, as reported in the Daily Echo.

And they were not the only ones unhappy with the level of service they received. The new out-of-hours arrangements coincided with the closure of doctors' surgeries on Saturday mornings, causing confusion for many patients.

A report going before Bournemouth Primary Care Trust's board meeting today reveals that staff at the St Leonards call centre have had problems adjusting to the new telephone and computer systems.

The first weekend saw staff inundated with three times the volume of calls expected, many of which were inappropriate.

They included calls from patients seeking repeat prescriptions or trying to make GP appointments.

But the PCT insists progress is being made. Its spokesperson said: "We are satisfied that the action being taken to address these teething problems, including changes to the call waiting system and training extra staff for periods of peak demand, has resulted in an improved service. Patient feedback is already beginning to bear this out.

"There are also plans to install new software during November and this will improve efficiency.

"However we can expect these changes to take a short time to settle down and these operational problems will be resolved over the next few weeks."

Hospitals hit target

NINETY-nine per cent of patients taken to local hospitals in an emergency are being dealt with in four hours or less, health bosses say.

A report has hailed the NHS emergency care system as "the envy of the world" and said 96 per cent of patients spend four hours or less between arrival and admission, discharge or transfer.

The figure is up from 77 per cent in the second quarter of 2002-03.

Sally Brown, general manager for trauma, radiology and therapy at Poole Hospital, said the hospital had matched the 96 per cent figure in the last five to six weeks and achieved 99 per cent last week. Its government-set target was 98 per cent by December.She praised staff's "hard work and real commitment".

Royal Bournemouth Hospital was once reporting eight-hour waits in its A&E department. But B J Waltho, head of service delivery, said it was now dealing with 98.5 per cent of patients within four hours on average and had reached 99 per cent in the last two weeks.

First published: October 27