Karen Baker -

Isle of Wight A&E makes it onto Channel4 News

As part of a Channel4 News feature on the problems being faced by Accident and Emergency (A&E) Departments across the country, the Isle of Wight featured in Victoria Macdonald’s report last night.

As recently reported, there’s been a 40-45% increase in 111 calls since Christmas and 9% more emergency department admissions compared with the previous year.

We get to see inside The Hub, a room that houses 999, 111, social services, district services and physiotherapists and patient transport staff, who all work alongside each other to ease the pressure on the hospital.

The Hub
As well as speaking to staff within The Hub, Alan Sheward (Executive Director of Nursing and Workforce) is interviewed along with Chief Executive, Karen Baker, who said she’d never experienced such pressure in 35 years working for the NHS.

It was clear from the footage that “fine line between coping and crisis” is walked daily by NHS staff due to the unpredictable pressure.

Still time to watch
At time of publishing there were ten hours left to watch the feature on Channel4 News (skip to about 20 mins into the programme).

Image: © Channel4 News