NHS braced for ‘challenging’ winter period

NHS teams are working to make sure patients continue to receive the highest quality care this winter, despite the widespread predictions of increased illness and hospital admission.

NHS Lothian has a number of initiatives in place to ensure patients receive the care they need.

This winter, the focus will be on reducing hospital attendance and admission, increasing hospital flow, providing more care closer to home and reducing the length of a patient’s stay.

Plans are in place to improve patient flow through the hospital system and boost community-based initiatives, such as Hospital at Home, to provide urgent medical care for chronic conditions in a person’s home, rather than patients having to travel to hospital.

Other pioneering initiatives have also been created in tandem with the four Health and Social Care Partnerships in Lothian to help patients return home as soon as they are medically well enough.

Dr Tracey Gillies, medical director at NHS Lothian, said: “All of the predictions for this year have warned that this will be one of the most challenging for the NHS to date.

“The pressures facing acute and community teams, GPs and pharmacies have already surged to levels that would normally have been associated with winter and they have been like this for most of the year so far.

“We are very proud of all of our teams who perform vital, lifesaving work every day. Our planning is designed to support them, but also allows them to continue to provide the high quality, patient-centred care we are all so proud of.”

As part of that winter planning, NHS Lothian has launched its ‘A&E is for critical emergencies only’ campaign to help get patients the right care in the right place this winter, as health services come under increasing pressure.

The campaign highlights all of the health care services and advice available to remind people that they might be able to get help sooner and closer to home, without attending a hospital.

The NHS Inform App is the first stop for self-care and advice, while local pharmacies, GP, or Minor Injuries Unit can provide expert care and treatment, usually closer to home. If patients are unsure where to get help or if they need urgent health care at night or weekends, they should call 111 day or night.