Families can ease the pressure on the NHS in Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire this festive season by helping when friends and relatives are well enough to leave hospital.
With this year’s Christmas and new year period being preceded by industrial action, the region’s hospitals are calling for additional support as they prepare for what is likely to be one of the busiest Decembers on record.
Plans to keep essential services running and disruption to a minimum are already in place, but senior doctors are also urging friends and families to support with helping loved ones home for Christmas.
Playing a part in the hospital discharge process can help friends and relatives to get home quicker, while at the same time supporting ward teams to free up valuable bed space for new patients.
Simple steps, such as offering lifts home, collecting prescriptions and making sure a person’s home is heated ahead of their return, can reduce the chance of unnecessary delays, meaning others needing admission can be given a bed sooner.
Dr Kathryn Bateman, Chief Medical Officer, Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Winter is always our busiest time of year, and right now local NHS services are under more pressure than usual.
“Flu cases are rising, and the cold weather is affecting people’s physical and mental health, which means there are fewer hospital beds available in the region than usual.
“And with the festive season approaching, we want to make sure no one stays in hospital longer than they need to, and we’re asking families, friends and carers to get involved early by talking with staff about their loved one’s recovery at home, as well as their future care needs, as soon as they are admitted.
“Other small, but very important, ways in which people can help include collecting prescriptions when they’re ready, arranging transport home, making sure the house has a supply of essential medicines, being there when someone first arrives home, and checking in on them in the days after with either a phone call or a visit.”
As is the case at any time of year, but even more so during particularly busy periods like Christmas and days of industrial action, people are advised to use their local NHS appropriately, and to choose the service that is right for their condition, bearing in mind that most minor ailments can be managed effectively at home.
Those who are unsure of how to treat an illness or injury are advised to use NHS 111 online, which is available at www.111.nhs.uk and can provide detailed health and care advice, as well as treatment options specific to each person’s symptoms.
Where appropriate, NHS 111 online can also direct people to nearby in-person services, such as minor injuries units and urgent treatment centres.
In addition, the region’s 130-plus community pharmacies can provide assistance for minor illnesses, with trained staff on hand to recommend treatment options and, in the case of seven common conditions, prescribe medicine, which could include antibiotics.
People in need of genuine help for a life-threatening situation during the industrial action, such as those with chest pains, severe bleeding and unexplained loss of consciousness, should not put off visiting hospital or calling 999.
A wide range of information and resources have been produced to help families get more involved in the hospital discharge process, all of which are available online via the Caring Steps Together section of the BSW Together website.
To find out more, visit www.bswtogether.org.uk/discharge.
