Emergency plan as Covid cases surge
HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS AND DEATHS SOAR
HOSPITALS in Nottinghamshire have put emergency plans into action as coronavirus deaths and admissions continue to soar at an unprecedented rate.
Nottinghamshire hospitals recorded 49 Covid-related deaths in just a seven-day period, according to health bosses.
The deaths were recorded in the week leading up to October 28 across all three hospital trusts in the county.
By comparison, only two people died throughout the months of July and August this year as a result of the coronavirus.
In addition, a whole ward’s worth of patients are now being admitted each day.
Health bosses are liaising with trusts outside the county to secure support in dealing with the rising number of people requiring medical attention due to Covid-19.
This means hospital trusts have rolled out what they call “surge plans”, which come in various sizes depending on the level required during this second wave of the virus.
Dr Andrew Haynes, executive lead for the integrated care system in Nottinghamshire, a collection of local authorities, NHS groups and voluntary organisations, said: “We have been planning for a variety of scenarios from the summer because we anticipated a wave two.
“Those scenarios have included a wave two of varying sizes, so there are plans in place. Of course we do this in a normal winter, where we balance emergency and planned activity for the increased emergency demand.
“We do have plans, they’re called surge plans, and yes they have been operated both in terms of intensive care and the planned work and that will continue.
“We are looking at internally supporting each other – our health and social care partners have been very good in wave one and continue to be in providing support across the system.
“For some areas we are in conversation with support we may need from other areas outside of Nottinghamshire. Clearly the further up the scale of the plans we move the more pressure that creates, the more difficulties and the bigger the impact then on the non-covid planned work we are delivering.”
Some cancer operations have had to be cancelled because of the rising number of coronavirus patients being seen.
There are currently 379 beds occupied by Covid patients, 8 percent of which are being treated in the intensive care unit.
This peak in admissions is already 40 percent above the peak in April during the first wave.
Jonathan Gribbin, director of Public Health for Nottinghamshire County Council, said: “The question of ‘what if’ and contingencies is really important and residents will be properly assured by what Dr Haynes has set out.
“But I think what we need to do right now, individually and across the county, is to be focusing on the things that each of us can be doing to avoid the need for a contingency like that.
“This is within our influence. For the next 28 days, Everyone needs to apply themselves to sticking to these new restrictions in every part.
“We know that the lockdown back in spring had a significant impact and that was fairly quick,” Dr Haynes added.
“I believe there’s some evidence that the measures in Liverpool are bearing fruit, It is now about us all stepping up and doing the basics, complying with the restrictions and trying to see that over-60s’ rate fall and the hospitalisation rate fall.
“We have got plans, but actually we don’t want to be in a position where we need to go to those extremes of the plans because that makes it harder for us to keep everyone safe.”
The public is now being warned that the next three week period is “critical” in order to flatten the rate of infection, rate of hospitalisation and death rate in Nottinghamshire.
Andrew Haynes, executive lead for the integrated care system in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, said: “This is a critical time to decrease transmission in general and bring down the rate of hospitalisation in three weeks time.
“We need to limit the impact Covid is having on our hospital system. We can do this by following the rules, minimising contact with others, avoiding household mixing and following the basic guidance and restrictions in place.”
It emerged earlier this month that cancer operations had been cancelled in Nottingham due to “pressure on intensive care units”.
Jonathan Gribbin added: “Our whole NHS and care system continues to be there for any and all of us who need it. But there are some additional things we need to do to help them maintain that.
“The rising infection rates across the county has been fuelling some of the pressures on our hospitals. To curb those increase, to cut off that fuel supply, it’s essential now that we take further action across the whole of Nottinghamshire – and that’s really what these Tier Three restrictions are all about.
“The package of restrictions, when you take them as a whole, are designed to slow down the spread. It’s important that we all get behind this now, because actually waiting longer to take action on stopping the spread would actually threaten the NHS and the care system with it.
“And the health and lives of people right across Nottinghamshire who depend on it.”