Improved service for out of hours medical help

DOCTORS surgeries which rely on the after-hours SEADOC medical service can look forward to an improved system.

Patients who call the SEADOC number, which is left on the answer phones of surgeries who take part in the scheme, will now get four possible outcomes from their call.

They will be given the relevant advice from the call handler or transferred to a specially trained and experienced NHS Direct Nurse.

Depending on the circumstances the nurse will:

*Advise the patient on how to handle the situation or to make an appointment with their GP

*arrange for the patient to talk to, or be seen by, an on-call doctor

*advise the patient to go to their nearest hospital casualty department

*arrange for an ambulance to be sent directly to the patient if urgent medical attention is needed.