Recent winters have brought services under great pressure, and NHS leaders have put detailed plans in place to keep the system working well when patients need it the most.
Dr Robin Hudson, a local GP and medical director at North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB), said: “Our teams work incredibly hard all year round, especially in winter when we see more respiratory infections, as well as slips, trips and falls in bad weather. We’ve also seen a big increase in norovirus in the last few weeks.
“There’s a huge amount of work goes on behind the scenes that most patients don’t see. That includes improving front-of-house arrangements at A&Es so patients are directed to the best service for their needs, which often isn’t an emergency service. It also means investing in community services so more people can get the care they need without going to hospital.”
Other patients are getting the help they need through Hospital at Home – which creates a ‘virtual ward’ at home so they can be monitored and treated safely, while Urgent Community Response teams are helping frail and vulnerable patients at home.
Extra trained staff at the front doors of A&Es are directing patients to other services if their needs are not an emergency – freeing up A&E teams to focus on people who need help the most.
At Middlesbrough’s James Cook University Hospital, this has reduced the number attending A&E by more than a third, though the service remains very busy. Just down the road at North Tees and Hartlepool, heart patients are using a new app so the heart failure team can monitor their vital signs, keeping them safely at home.
Ken Bremner MBE, chair of the region’s Provider Collaborative and chief executive at South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust, said: “If you need healthcare, please do come forward – the NHS is here to help you. But please bear in mind that if you come to A&E with something that’s not serious, we may direct you to a more suitable service so busy staff can focus on people with the most urgent needs.
We all rely on health services, and there are things we can all do to help. If you need medical care and it's not life-threatening, think about NHS 111 online, your local pharmacy or your GP practice first."
Anyone needing urgent mental health support can call NHS 111 and select the mental health option, or visit the NHS website for details of other services.
Details of local pharmacy services and opening times are also available from the NHS website. GP practices now offer a range of ways to book appointments including online or via the NHS app