Accident and Emergency Doctor says 'Vital information when seconds count'
Dr Johan du Plessis - Associate Specialist in Emergency Medicine
South London Healthcare NHS Trust
My team in A&E is trained to look out for the MedicAlert Emblem when treating patients. We use the service to find out vital medical information when seconds count.
Over the years, I have relied on the MedicAlert service, both in the UK and abroad, on many occasions whilst treating a patient in an emergency. My colleagues and I need to be immediately aware if a patient has an underlying medical condition or an allergy.
In my role at South London Health Care NHS Trust, we regularly treat patients in life-threatening situations. When we see a MedicAlert emblem, we know information is immediately available to us, at the end of the phone. It's one less complication that we have to be concerned about.
Therefore, having access to the MedicAlert service is such a help in our work. My team are specifically trained to be ‘On Guard; for the MedicAlert emblem. When we see it, and, can discover a patient's medical history very quickly, then we are one step closer to, on some occasions, saving a life.
It is crucial that MedicAlert continues to be in the minds of emergency and medical personnel, That is why I commend MedicAlert's ‘On Guard' appeal to you.
