'Super' nurses aim to cut Leicester A&E waiting times
A Leicester hospital is spending £600,000 to help reduce waiting times at its accident and emergency department.
Leicester Royal Infirmary has employed six advanced nurses in a bid to assess and treat patients within 30 minutes.
The super nurses, who receive extra medical training, will work with a senior doctor, but will be able to assess patients on their own.
The A&E department treats more than 160,000 patients a year.
"For many patients, we are the only people they will need to see," advanced nurse Matt Wensley said.
Mr Wensley, who has worked as a nurse in Leicester for more than a decade, took a post-graduate diploma to become an advanced nurse.
The new system will allow consultants to see patients who need their expertise, a hospital spokesman said.
The team, which will include four physician assistants , will initially offer an 8am-to-midnight service, but this will be reviewed and extended to a 24-hour service if required.
The physician assistants come from other medical-related professions, such as osteopathy, and take a three-year medical training course before being appointed.