Urgent Virtual Care service helps more than 4,000 patients avoid Emergency Department attendance

HSE South West Press Release: HSE South West Urgent Virtual Care service helps more than 4,000 patients avoid Emergency Department attendance

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Patients and clinicians have hailed the success of HSE South West’s Urgent Virtual Care Service, which has now seen more than 5,700 patients since opening in November 2024.

The service offers patients across Cork and Kerry alternatives to attending an Emergency Department, including remote consultations. Since opening in November 2024, the service has seen 5,743 patients. Almost three-quarters (73%, or 4,192) have avoided an Emergency Department attendance.
Urgent Virtual Care allows GPs and paramedics to consult directly (by phone or video call) with a senior medical decision maker in Emergency Medicine or Geriatric Medicine. A team of senior clinicians and support staff provide virtual consultations and assessments from a centralised hub, which is located at Cork University Hospital but accepts referrals from GPs and paramedics across Cork and Kerry.

Professor Conor Deasy, Clinical Director of Emergency and Acute Care, CUH, said:
“The Urgent Virtual Care service has been in a much-welcomed addition to our Emergency and Acute Care offering in the last year or so. It helps patients get the right care, from the right clinicians, at the right time, allowing GPs and paramedics to access pathways in hospitals and the community directly for their patients. Often, patients can bypass the Emergency Department entirely and access their care directly. We are constantly working to get patients more directly to the care they need, and the Urgent Virtual Care service is a big part of that.”

The service offers a range of options after a referral, including:
• a direct telephone or video consultation with the patient or GP
• access to services which deliver care in the patient’s own home or nursing home
• when needed, a structured and scheduled visit to the Emergency Department

The majority of patients are assessed remotely, often from the comfort of their own home. Emma Slye, a previous user of the service, said her experience was very positive.
“They took care of me immediately, there was no waiting around, and I felt like I was being really cared for. I would recommend Urgent Virtual Care to other people.”

Dr Andrew Crosbie of Elmwood Medical Practice said the service allows for better communication between GPs and hospitals, ultimately leading to better care.

Priscilla Lynch, HSE manager for Cork South and West said that supporting GPs and paramedics to find alternatives ways to access care for their patients is paying dividends.
She added:
“We are delighted that this service is helping so many patients to get the care they need, when they need it. We are committed to investing in this service and we encourage both patients and GP to consider whether it’s a viable option for their needs.”

Referrals to the UVC can be made by GPs and paramedics only via Healthlink, Email, or by phone.