Pressure rising on area hospitals
HEALTH leaders are worried that the knock-on effect of people not getting to see a GP means they are being unnecessarily sent to hospital, putting “sustained pressure” on hospitals.
Sherwood Forest Hospitals saw ten percent more people seek urgent or emergency care in February and March than the same period last year.
The trust runs King’s Mill Hospital in Mansfield and Newark Hospital. A board meeting on Thursday heard concerns that patients were struggling to see their GPS or local pharmacist, causing more people to visit their emergency department.
Chief executive Paul Robinson said: “We have seen high demand for urgent care recently, around 10 per cent higher than last year. This means patients are waiting longer than we would wish, and there is sustained pressure on the system.”
The Trust was trying to divert suitable patients at King’s Mill Hospital into primary care like GPS and pharmacies rather than the emergency department. A report says that both ambulance admissions and emergency walk-ins remain high.
The trust has been forced to take measures to relieve overcrowding several times in the last month, including creating extra capacity on wards, cancelling meetings for clinical staff and diverting patients.
Dr Aly Rashid, medical director for NHS Midlands, said: “You hear that people ring 111 and are immediately directed to hospitals. Unless this is eased, demand will keep rising year on year.”
Rachel Eddie, chief operating officer, said: “There are patients coming to A&E that could be dealt with elsewhere, but it’s not a quick fix - primary care is under immense pressure.”