Comprehensive plan agreed to help cope with the challenges of winter

Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which manages King’s Mill, Newark and Mansfield Community hospitals, started planning early for winter to be as prepared as possible and provide patients with the confidence that our hospitals are ready to cope with the increased pressure that winter brings.

The winter plan which was approved by The Sherwood Forest Hospitals Board of Directors on Thursday 3 October, sets out a range of measures aimed at helping patients to get speedier decisions from specialist doctors, ensuring patients are only admitted if it is essential and that no-one stays in hospital longer than they need to.

Funding will be used to provide a wide range of initiatives aimed at helping to improve patient flow through the hospital together with some additional beds.

Additional staffing will be brought in to support nursing, medical, physiotherapy and administration colleagues during the winter period.

Projects which proved particularly successful last year will replicated, such as:

• The Children’s Assessment Unit from November until March 2024 providing extended opening hours (10am to 10pm) seven days a week – giving children and their parents better access to urgent and emergency care when they need it.
• Doubling the number of Respiratory Physicians available at weekends – helping patients with seasonal conditions get faster treatment and often have a shorter stay in hospital.
• Weekend MRI scan reporting to help reduce backlogs in areas which can often cause delays to patients being discharged.
• Additional weekend trauma operating lists to enable immediate procedures to be done at weekends avoiding patients having to wait for emergency surgery.

Winter is traditionally a challenging time across the NHS with increased pressures from seasonal illnesses such as respiratory infections, Covid and Flu.

Winter weather can also lead to more trips and falls. The provision of a scheme which specifically supports the fracture care of the elderly will support an increased number of people visiting the Emergency Department (ED) with suspected breaks and sprains. This scheme, which ran for a short time last year received excellent feedback and is being implemented this year for the whole of the winter period.

The Frailty Rapid Access Unit will ensure frail patients are seen quickly – helping to prevent deterioration in their condition, often avoiding unnecessary admission to hospital and meaning they can return home to continue their recovery.

The expansion of our new Surgical Same Day Emergency Care service will also enable patients to be referred from ED, to be seen more quickly and go home the same day will also provide a very positive impact over the winter months.

Delays in discharging medically fit patients once they are ready to go home means that seriously sick patients waiting for hospital admission sometimes wait for a bed longer than they, or hospital staff would like.

This year, the Trust’s Discharge Lounge which opened in April and is now open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, will provide a dedicated space for patients helping to improve patient flow and discharge efficiency. It will allow acutely sick patients quicker access to hospital beds while providing patients ready to be discharged with a comfortable and purpose-designed space as they wait for medication or transport or for their relatives to collect them.

Rachel Eddie, Chief Operating Officer at Sherwood Forest Hospitals, said:

“Winter is traditionally a much busier time across our NHS as the temperatures drop and winter viruses begin to spread, which is why it was so important that we began our planning as early as we did to support our staff to deal with those pressures.

“We anticipate that this is going to be a difficult winter but by planning early and building on those schemes that were successful last year we hope to mitigate the impact and ensure a more positive experience and better outcome for our patients.

“The welcome addition of several new schemes this winter will further help us make every bed count.

“The safety of our patients and the quality of the care we provide will always be our priority.”

It is vital that we all always look after our own health and protect against seasonal illnesses as far as we can.

Acting Medical Director, Dr Simon Roe advises:

 “If you are eligible, please take up the offer of Covid and Flu vaccinations. Details of the national campaign can be found here.

"Above all, we want you to plan to stay well this winter. You can help us by contacting your GP team, local pharmacies, NHS 111 online or by calling NHS 111 to get advice and treatment for minor injuries and illnesses and making the right choice to get the right help at the right time.

“In an emergency we are always there for you and for life-threatening situations phone 999 immediately or come to our Emergency Department.”