This in from the IW NHS in their own words. Ed
The Island’s health system continues to be under significant pressure. The Trust is seeing a substantial number of older patients with respiratory conditions.
The Trust has re-opened 12 beds, currently closed for building works, but cannot open more as there is are no additional qualified staff available.
Priority of operations
Any patients affected by cancelled operations will be contacted. All other patients who have not been contacted should attend for their appointment or procedure as scheduled. In-patient operations that are being prioritised to proceed include:
- All patients on a cancer fast track pathway;
- All patients on an urgent pathway who require their treatment within the next two weeks
Standby list
However, this is still subject to bed availability. Those patients not included above are being given priority for adding to a ‘standby’ list where, at short notice, they may be offered treatment.
Cancelling operations “always a last resort”
Mark Price, the Trust’s Executive Director on Call at St. Mary’s Hospital says the decision to postpone a patient’s procedure is not one taken lightly:
“To ensure those people who are seriously ill and require urgent treatment are given the care they require, we have had to create capacity in the system and to do this we have had to take the difficult decision to postpone some routine, non urgent procedures. Cancelling and rearranging operations is always the absolute last resort but unfortunately it has been unavoidable.”
Mr Price continued: “We realise that patients and their families have to make arrangements when they plan to go into hospital for an operation, and that a postponement can be a great disappointment and an inconvenience. We are sincerely sorry for this but hope people understand the reason why. We are trying to reschedule operations as quickly as we can.”
How Islanders can help?
Patients and their families can help by working with the Trust and Social Care teams as soon as they are admitted, to put in place any arrangements to support their discharge. Of the 227 patients in hospital around 10% are medically fit to be discharged, but are waiting for places to become available at specific nursing or residential care homes.
Mark Price, the Trust’s Executive Director on Call at St. Mary’s Hospital said:
“We would encourage patients and their families not to delay decisions about which nursing or residential home discharge can be made to. The home available may not be the closest or the preferred choice, but it is much better for the patient to be in a care home environment once medically fit, than to be in hospital and it also frees up a bed for the next admission.”
The Trust is continuing to work with the local authority’s social service teams and the Island’s nursing and residential care homes to ensure those ready to leave hospital can be found appropriate placements. It is well known that patients recover more quickly when in their own home or a non-hospital setting.
Chris Smith, Head of Ambulance and Admissions at Isle of Wight NHS Trust, says:
“It is important that the elderly and those that care for them seek advice early before conditions deteriorate to a point where a referral to hospital is necessary. As soon as individuals start to develop a cough or cold we would encourage them to visit their local pharmacy for advice and over the counter medicine as this pre-emptive action may catch some of these nasty winter illnesses in the bud before they become full blown problems that we all have to cope with.” Chris adds: “999 should only be called in a life threatening emergency. Anyone needing non-urgent medical care is asked to consider using alternative healthcare services, such as phoning the non-emergency 111 advice line and visiting their local pharmacy or GP practice.”
How can staff help?
Trust staff are working incredibly hard across all services – hospital, ambulance, community and mental health – to ensure the Island’s health and care system continues to deliver safe, effective care whilst under significant ongoing pressure.
The Trust has opened some additional capacity to cope with the current demand but needs to open more. To do so the Trust needs staff to volunteer for additional shifts. Any staff – Nurses, Nursing Assistants or Allied Health Professionals – who want to work additional hours are asked to ring in to the Trust’s Hospital Control Room on ext 6600 or 6601.
The majority of services provided by Isle of Wight NHS Trust are commissioned and funded by Isle of Wight Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), NHS England and Isle of Wight Council.
Image: My Name Is Harsha under CC BY 2.0
