No 923 Monday 13th - Sunday 19th June 2022
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Keeping people safe and informed for over 18 years - The Costa Blanca’s oldest ‘FREE’ English language newspaper
T O R R E V I E J A H O S P I TA L E M E R G E N C Y D E PA R T M E N T O N L I F E S U P P O R T
Social network pages are full of complaints, even from hospital doctors themselves, about the disastrous management at the Torrevieja Hospital, less than 9 months after Ana Barcelo, Minister of Health at the time, removed the old concessionaire, Ribera Salud, taking it into public control. But now, following months of criticism from both patients and healthcare professionals about the failings, the Health Department has launched what it is calling a “Shock Plan” to try and bring the levels of service back up to what they once were. The Management, the Medical Directorate and the new care managers of the emergency service met at the centre with Mónica Almiñana, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health, and Enrique Soler, Deputy Director General of Integrated Care, with the aim of designing the structure of this Shock Plan that will enter into force immediately. The meeting defended how recently, the Emergency Department of the Hospital incorporated a new Head of Service and a Head of Section, in addition to reinforcing the service in all its
professional areas and increasing the hours and staffing of specialists in all the six Continuous Care Points (PACs), hosted at local medical centres, PAC La Loma, PAC Guardamar del Segura, PAC Pilar de la Horadada, PAC Orihuela Costa, PAC Rojales and PAC de San Miguel de Salinas Since bringing the health authority back into public management, they stated that the workforce has risen from 1,043 to 1,793 staff, which represents an increase of 58%, and which, they state, guarantees 100% care coverage for the population in key services such as emergencies, primary care, and hospitalisation. In addition, the second floor of the centre will now remain open at full capacity, something that has not been the case in previous years, and the presence of key non-care support services will be maintained. The number of medical staff has also increased in Primary Care Medical Centres. The care strategy for this summer is focused on promoting urgent care throughout the Health Authority with the 24-hour opening of the 6 Continuous Care Points (PAC).
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