🏥 Cayman's health ministry aims to ease A&E pressure

The Ministry of Health and Wellness in the Cayman Islands is working towards reducing the strain on the only accident and emergency (A&E) room at the HSA hospital in George Town. The ministry is exploring the potential benefits of increasing access to general clinics outside of traditional hours. This could potentially reduce the demand for urgent care, thereby reducing the pressure on emergency services and decreasing patient wait times. 🏪

The ministry is also considering other factors that could affect the demand for emergency services, such as insurance coverage, out-of-pocket expenses, and accessibility outside of George Town. The transient nature of Cayman's population also impacts the overall capacity to deliver healthcare services. However, the ministry believes that the number of hospital beds is not an accurate measure of the healthcare system's capacity. Instead, modern healthcare systems are focusing on process outcomes to maximise care pathways, shifting away from a bed-based care model to one that favours day and overnight care focused on clinical interventions. 🛏️

As part of this initiative, the ministry is also working to address concerns about the quality of nursing care. The chief nursing officer is currently working on establishing local standards of care in nursing practice. This will ensure that the expectations of care are clear for all healthcare practitioners in the Cayman Islands, regardless of where they obtained their qualifications. The ministry continues to prioritise strengthening and enhancing Cayman’s healthcare landscape, with timely access to high-quality care being a key component of this priority. 👩‍⚕️