Emergency intake in the Weyertal closes: What does that mean for Cologne?

Emergency intake in the Weyertal closes: What does that mean for Cologne?

As part of a comprehensive restructuring, the central emergency room (ZNA) of the Evangelical Hospital Weyertal in Cologne will be closed from July 1. This has been done after a year and six months since the Cologne University Hospital took over the facility. A ambulance has recently started bringing acute emergencies directly to the ZNA of the university clinic, which is only about 800 meters from the Weyertal. On average, the emergency ambulance looked after 25 to 30 patients per day before this drastic decision was made.

With the closure of the emergency outpatient clinic, employees, a total of nine in number, should work in other areas of the hospital. Instead of the emergency ambulance, a control center is set up that provides patients. Patients with serious injuries or trauma are brought directly to the university clinic or other trauma -centered facilities. These changes are in the context of increasing modernization and realignment of emergency and patient care in the region.

focus on geriatric medicine

A central aspect of the new strategy in the Weyertal Hospital is the focus on geriatric medicine. In the course of this, the “Center for Medicine in Old Year” was launched, which aims to use modern, holistic, holistic and nearby care of older patients. This initiative is particularly relevant in view of the demographic change; By 2050, a third of the population in Germany will be over 65 years old.

The interdisciplinary team under the direction of Patricia Faßbender, Dr. Linus Völker and Dr. Garry Ceccon cooperates with various disciplines, including internists, neurologists, cardiologists and nurses. Weekly interdisciplinary case conferences should ensure that each patient is treated individually. The focus is on multimorbidity, frailty and a targeted handling of several medications.

quality in emergency care

The drastic changes in emergency care are also related to current recommendations and studies to improve emergency rooms in the Federal Republic. According to the drug commission of the German medical profession, the 5th action plan for 2021-2024 was published in order to increase the quality in emergency medicine. In addition, the German Society for Geriatrics has developed a clinical frailty scale that provides important findings for the emergency care of older people.

A large number of studies deal with the challenges in emergency medicine, especially with regard to older patients. The concerns include unwanted drug effects and the overcrowding of emergency rooms. There are approaches to make emergency care more efficient through systematic checks and recommendations for the structure and equipment.

The closure of the central emergency room in the Weyertal hospital is a significant step in the transformation of health care, towards specialized geriatric medicine and integration into the larger network of the Cologne University Hospital. These changes aim to meet the specific challenges of an aging population and to provide future -proof health care.

A rethink in emergency and intensive care medicine is essential in order to meet the needs of patients in a changing society. Rundschau Online reports on the closure, while additional information from the Springer Link can be used for the innovation strategy in emergency medicine.