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Outlining the Trust’s winter plan to board members during a meeting at Antrim Area Hospital on Thursday, Gillian Traub, director of operations, acknowledged that staff are very anxious about the winter months and that planning commenced in August in anticipation of an increase in pressure on the Trust’s hospital and community services. She highlighted there is a need to improve ambulance handover times, which is one of the Trust’s key areas of focus, saying: “The longer they are waiting at our door, they are not on the road for the next patient.” The Trust indicated that improvement will be carried out by enhancing senior nursing within Antrim and Causeway hospitals’ emergency departments with “anticipatory care planning” for East Antrim care home residents, for example. The director stressed that a hospital emergency department is “there for anybody who needs it” but reminded that there is a “range of other services available” such as the minor injuries unit, GPs, pharmacies etc. “We are managing a very challenging situation with very unwell patients both inside and outside in ambulances,” she stated. Ms Traub also highlighted the importance of timely hospital discharge for patients who are medically fit. She said that the Trust will have the additional support of 35 beds in the independent sector which have been “block-booked” to assist with patient discharges. The Trust said: “We will work with our independent sector providers to maximise care home bed availability including beds which offer an enhanced level of care for those with complex needs. We will optimise the use of intermediate care beds to support patient discharge and support your recovery and independence. “We will continue to help patients discharge from hospital as soon as it is deemed appropriate by our clinical teams. Our site co-ordination hubs at Antrim and Causeway Hospitals will continue to focus on expediting discharges and reducing delays. “We will optimise the use of intermediate care beds to support patient discharge and support recovery and independence.” Ms Traub said that the Trust needs “support, flexibility and understanding” around discharge noting that patients may not be offered their first preference for onward care, which she acknowledged, can be “challenging” for families and staff. The Trust is also establishing a ‘Hospital at Home’ service to provide an alternative to hospital admission. It will provide care to older frail patients in their own residence for some conditions which would normally require them to receive care in hospital. GPs will identify those patients who could benefit from the service of a multi-disciplinary team which provides a “wrap-around” plan to allow the patient to continue living at home. It is anticipated that “dedicated consultant input will prevent unnecessary emergency department and acute hospital admissions and avoid premature admission to long term care”, the Trust says.
