Families across Bath are being urged to play their part in easing pressure on local NHS services this Christmas by helping loved ones leave hospital as soon as they are well enough.
The main entrance of the Royal United Hospital in Bath | Photo © RUH
Health leaders say this year’s Christmas and New Year period is expected to be one of the busiest on record, with winter pressures made worse by current industrial action.
Hospitals in the region have plans in place to keep essential services running and minimise disruption, but senior doctors are asking families, friends and carers to support ward teams by helping relatives get home safely and promptly once they are ready for discharge.
Taking a more active role in the discharge process – for example by offering a lift home, collecting prescriptions or making sure a house is warm and stocked with basic medicines – can help free up beds more quickly for new patients who need emergency care.
Dr Kathryn Bateman, Chief Medical Officer at 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.”
People are also being reminded to use NHS services appropriately over the festive period and on days affected by industrial action, choosing the right level of care for their needs and managing minor illnesses at home where safe to do so.
Anyone unsure how to treat an illness or injury is advised to use NHS 111 online at www.111.nhs.uk, which operates 24/7.
