Assessing and managing patients’ risk of ill health in the community are two of the most important contributions primary care makes to patient safety and wellbeing and to the efficiency of the NHS as a wider system.
But difficulties accessing diagnostics, delays in referrals, and longer hospital waiting lists as a result of Covid-19 mean that primary care is now holding much greater levels of clinical risk in the community than would have been acceptable prior to the pandemic. Combined with the fear many patients have of accessing healthcare and contracting Covid-19, there is a real danger that primary care is unable to adequately manage and assess this risk. With a second Covid-19 wave now underway, this problem is likely to continue or even get worse through winter 2020/2021.
This workshop explored how clinical risk levels have changed in the community and what health professionals can do to make sure that patients’ risk of ill health is managed safely and fairly.
This event was held online on Wednesday 18th November 2020 and was chaired by Nigel Edwards, Chief Executive, Nuffield Trust.
For more information about this event, please get in touch by email via events@nuffieldtrust.org.uk.