The Elms Practice is participating in the recently released Local Enhanced Service (L.E.S) to provide minor injuries services as an addition to routine general practice.
The aim of this service is to encourage our own registered patients and visitors to use this locally provided service rather than attending Accident & Emergency (A&E) Department at QueenAlexandraHospital (QAH).
The service is available to all regardless of registration as immediately necessary care, and without a pre-booked appointment
The service is available between core working hours and treating injuries occurring 24 hours prior to presentation.
The injury will be assessed within 30 minutes of attending, and then definitive treatment administered within 2 hours of presentation at the practice.
There are very specific criteria of the type of injuries seen and that are able to be treated, those being:-
¨ Lacerations capable of closure by simple techniques (gluing, stripping, suturing)
¨ Minor dislocations of phalanges (fingers and toes that do not require x-ray or referral to A&E)
¨ Nasal & aural foreign bodies, subungual haematoma (blood blister under nail) or splinters that require trephining (that do not require referral to A&E)
¨ Unblistered, partial thickness burns in adults only, on areas other than hands, face, feet and genitals, and which are smaller in size than the patients hand size. Burns caused by electrical discharge (e.g. lightning or electric shock) and all burns in children are excluded and therefore cannot be seen.
If a patient presents with an injury not listed above, then it may be necessary for the patient to attend St Mary’s Walk-in Treatment Centre, and where appropriate, cases will still be directed to A&E at QAH, however, this will only happen to ensure the correct care pathway is provided and thus ensuring the best possible care of the patients needs.
Please note that there are no facilities to carry out x-rays at Hayling Island Health Centre.