Banbury MP calls for national standards for hospitals (From The Oxford Times)

Banbury MP calls for national standards for hospitals

7:00pm Thursday 14th February 2013 in News

MP Sir Tony Baldry

BANBURY MP Sir Tony Baldry said public confusion over what hospitals can offer could present a risk to life.

During a debate on emergency services in Parliament he called for national standards to be introduced to give clarity.

Sir Tony, left, said: “We need total clarity about what people can expect from major trauma units, and what is meant by the terms “accident and emergency department”, “urgent care centre” and “major injuries unit”.

“We could then be confident about the protocols that the ambulance services use – when they are dealing with major road accidents on the M40, for example – and patients, GPs and people generally in my constituency would know what to expect from the accident and emergency services in Banbury, and when it would be more appropriate for them to be directed to the major trauma unit at the JR in Oxford.

“People would also be clearer about when they ought not to be bothering A&E but should be going to see their GP.”