AS MIDWINTER NEARS
what additionality we are getting from our specialist nurses and from our consultants.
“We do have consultants that will be working later into the evening to support the peaks in demand.”
With last winter’s whiteout bringing Lanarkshire to a grinding halt, staff were left stranded, often relying on members of public and volunteers with four-wheel drives to get them to work.
But there are plans to keep staff moving during a big freeze.
“I have already set up our own transportation hub here,” Ms Edwards said. “We did that on the back of trying to support staff to try and get in and out of work last year,” she continued.
“We now have got a cohort of volunteers that we know have fourby-four vehicles or four-wheel drives.
“Last year it was done on the basis that we had to react to it but this year we have a list of volunteers and how they can support us and will use external volunteers along with lifesavers and Red Cross supporters who really were our lifesavers last year.
“This year we have done a bit more work internally because no one expected that level of snow disruption – although here in East Kilbride we are probably more used to snow than elsewhere.”
In response to last year’s winter chaos, NHS Lanarkshire opened its GP surgeries on Saturdays and this scheme will be repeated.
Ms Edwards added: “We know when they are opening up and how many are opening up so as a consequence we will then be able to support patients in a different way if they are able to go through their GP at the weekend.”
There are talks ongoing to increase the opening hours of the minor injuries unit and although there are currently no vacancies within nursing staff, Ms Edwards admits recruiting physicians at Hairmyres remains an issue with currently not enough doctors to allow this. Capacity issues remain challenging.
“We run at about 93 occupancy,” she added.
“If you were building a new hospital, you would build one with 85 per cent occupancy.
“We are over-occupancy and that is usually medical care of the elderly but we have an arrangement where we utilise surgical beds where we possibly can do to support the activity in this area.”
But the overriding message from the health board is clear – don’t attend A&E unless it is an emergency.
Ms Edwards said: “Hospital isn’t always the most appropriate place for patients and we are continually working to get the message out there that they can access services in the community as a first port of call, such as pharmacists, dentists, opticians and GPS as well as NHS 24.” per cent