HOSPITAL BRACED FOR IMPACT

Lessons learned and plans drawn up in wake of Beast from the East

Hospital boss Joanne Edwards today unveils the big freeze blueprint designed to avoid the chaos which engulfed Hairmyres last winter.

The director of hospital services at University Hospital Hairmyres told the Advertiser they are braced for increased demand and if there is another Beast from the East episode.

But the public has been urged not to attend A&E departments unless it is absolutely necessary. Plans for Hairmyres include: Extra medics recruited for winter wards at Hairmyres along with Christmas and New Year rotas in place.

A number of GP surgeries will open in January across Lanarkshire.

Plans in place for transport hub at Hairmyres in event of severe weather.

Medical assessment unit up and running to help ease backlog in wards and pressure in A&E.

NHS Lanarkshire medical director Dr Iain Wallace apologised to patients when the big freeze and heavy snow saw waiting times rocket, with A&E wards bursting at the seams and nonemergency operations cancelled.

Hairmyres was particularly badly affected.

But Ms Edwards believes the East Kilbride hospital is as prepared as it can be for this winter, with extra staffing and rotas in place for the hospital’s winter wards and arrangements for a transport hub should the weather cause havoc.

“Working though the Beast from the East was something I don’t think any of us had ever experienced before,” she said. “It was one of the most challenging periods I have ever had in all my time here.

“But the dedication and commitment of all our staff was second to none and I have to say the team I have here at Hairmyres is excellent.

“However, we held a winter debrief with the team and we knew in April and May what the lessons were from that period and agreed what we needed to do going forward.

“One of the main differences is that we have recruited earlier, we have our nurse staffing and medical staffing all ready for the winter wards, which will increase bed capacity at the hospital by 17. That can open at any point in time.

“We try and not open it until the first week in January where we see historically a peak in demand.

“However, having all these staff in place who have gone through their induction means they are ready to mobilise as quickly as possible.

“We have opened up our medical assessment unit which used to be on the wards, and all Christmas and New Year rotas are sorted and we are acutely aware of who is working when, at what point in time, what the teams that are on for every day over that period and