8th June 2011 - Launch of a video hospital consultation service

Many patients living in Grassington can now see a hospital consultant in their local community centre thanks to the wonders of video technology.

They will no longer have to travel to Airedale Hospital at Steeton for their regular clinical appointments as part of a new telemedicine outpatient service offered in the Dales village - as they will be able to discuss their long-term condition with a consultant on screen by video link.

Airedale NHS Foundation Trust has placed telemedicine equipment in a private room within the village's newly opened community hub; this will be used to carry out follow up consultations with people who have a range of long term conditions, beginning with diabetes. 

The new facility based at the Grassington hub at 2 Garrs Lane, Skipton is opening its doors for visitors to the Grassington Festival on Wednesday 22 June between 1pm and 3.30pm to demonstrate how its new service works.

It has been successfully piloted with diabetic patients and the long-term plan is to develop clinics in other key locations such as Colne, Bingley, Ilkley and Keighley.

Telehealth technologies are being used widely to manage patients with long-term conditions such as diabetes, chronic chest disease and heart failure.  The technologies involve using electronic systems to deliver clinical care and enable patients to be cared for in their own homes safely whilst reducing avoidable hospital admissions.

The idea is to provide a more convenient service to patients closer to their homes, saving them time and money as they no longer have to travel to hospital.

The Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, which is an enterprise hub for Yorkshire and Humber region, has been innovative in the provision of remote patient care for more than five years.  Through the use of video technology, the hospital has been providing clinical services to people in their homes, inmates in prisons throughout the country and residents of nursing homes.

Dr Richard Pope, a consultant and director of innovation research and development at Airedale NHS Foundation Trust says: “As a practising consultant I am really excited about how technologies will help change the way care is delivered in the future and offer better and more personal care to patients.

“I have seen first hand how my diabetic patients can benefit from telemedicine and live independently and safely, whilst effectively managing their health and wellbeing.

“We are able to see blood test and X-ray results as well as being able to see and speak with our patients; this means we can discuss options and make decisions in very much the same way as we would do in a hospital setting.

“There will still be occasions when it is essential for people to be seen face-to-face, but our work in this area has shown us that in many clinical situations it is perfectly possible to deliver safe clinical care using telemedicine.

“The Grassington development is an important first step for us at Airedale; we have plans to extend the approach into other locations and for other conditions over the next year.”