Trust outlines its plans for '˜challenging winter'
At their recent board meeting, senior Trust managers explained that this winter is expected to be particularly challenging for a number of reasons:
• The Southern Trust has the fastest growing population in Northern Ireland
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Hide Ad• The number of people attending local emergency departments increases every winter
• The number of patients who need admitted to hospital with complex health issues is increasing every year
• Higher levels of Flu and vomiting and diarrhoea are more likely in winter and increase pressure for hospital beds and impacts on staffing levels
• Recruiting staff is also increasingly challenging and will be an issue over winter.
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Hide AdThe presentation also detailed some measures designed to deal with the rising number of patients during winter and to help improve patient flow through the hospitals. They include:
• Promoting the use of the Discharge Lounge, increased consultant ward rounds, appointment of discharging pharmacists
• New Older Persons Assessment Units in Craigavon and Daisy Hill Hospitals to avoid hospital admissions
• A new short stay service from Roxborough House, Moy – (in addition to existing service in Newry), avoiding the need for some older patients to stay in hospital
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Hide Ad• Working with care homes and domiciliary care services to facilitate timely discharge from hospitals
• Establishing control rooms in Craigavon and Daisy Hill Hospitals – senior hospital and community staff coordinating the flow of patients daily
• A re-direction of ambulances within the Trust when one of its acute hospitals is particularly busy.
For more information log on to www.southerntrust.hscni.net
• Read related story - ‘Help ease pressure on health services’