NHS in Bucks prepares for winter season

As we head into another busy winter season, health and social care partners across Buckinghamshire are working together to ensure all our local communities get the services they need in the most appropriate place.

Patients and residents across the county are being urged to do everything they can to get ‘winter ready’ by:

• Taking up the offer of free flu and covid vaccinations if they are in eligible groups
• Using NHS 111 for advice on the most appropriate service for their needs
• Continuing to contact their GP practice about worrying symptoms
• Speaking to a pharmacist about minor illnesses
• Only using 999 and hospital Emergency Departments for life threatening conditions
• Making sure they get repeat prescriptions in time for weekends and bank holidays
• Stocking up on over-the-counter medicines
• Looking out for vulnerable family members, friends and neighbours

To get ready for winter, Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust has made a number of changes, including: extending the hours of its Urgent Treatment Centre at Stoke Mandeville Hospital to 24/7; working with FedBucks to establish a Primary Care Clinical Assessment Service to redirect NHS 111 calls away from GP care to more suitable services; expanding the remit and hours of its Same Day Emergency Care unit so that people can be treated without being admitted,  and opening a new paediatric Emergency Department and paediatric clinical observation unit. The Trust has also received national funding to build a new ward at Stoke Mandeville Hospital which will increase the number of beds available for inpatients.

Commenting on the changes, Raghuv Bhasin, Chief Operating Officer for Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust said: “Our priority is to ensure the most vulnerable and those in most urgent need can access services quickly and easily, whether that’s at one of our hospitals or in their own homes. We have invested in services with more beds and more staff than last year to reduce waits for patients during winter.

“You can also help us to help you by taking preventative action such as flu jabs and keeping Emergency Departments for life threatening emergencies such as heart attack, breathing difficulties and severe bleeding. If you’re not sure then go to NHS 111 online or call them and they will be able to advise on what you should do to get the care you need.”

The Trust is working closely with Buckinghamshire Council to provide an integrated discharge service which will help people leave hospital as quickly as it is safe to do so with the right support in place. Olympic Lodge is also reopening this month, a site close to Stoke Mandeville Hospital, which can provide intermediate care for patients who no longer need hospital care but are not well enough to be sent home until the appropriate support package is in place.

Angela Macpherson, Cabinet Member for Adults & Health at Buckinghamshire Council, said: “To keep people safe and well over the winter period, it’s important that we work together to provide the right support at the right time. This is a key priority for us across Buckinghamshire.

"By continuing to work in this way, we are able to approach residents' care collaboratively to provide the most appropriate support for people in their own homes - which has never been more important than now. We also want to encourage people to keep an eye out for vulnerable relatives, neighbours and friends this winter, checking they are ok.

"One of our focuses this year is on addressing health inequalities in the county. We have introduced a number of easy access health stations at different locations for residents to use and have worked with partners on schemes like the Grow It, Cook It, Eat It initiative which ensures people have access to healthy and nutritious food.

“We also want to remind people about the importance of looking after their mental health. With the pressures of increased bills and Christmas expenditure, as well as heightened feelings of loneliness that can affect many people over winter, it is vital that everyone knows that support is available for those who need it.”

Dr Rachael de Caux, Chief Medical Officer from the BOB Integrated Care Board which manages health services in the area, said: “Winter is always a busy time for the NHS and comes at the end of a year which has already seen all our teams under significant pressure. 

“The focus this winter is on all parts of the health and social care system working together through our system winter plan. Thanks to the hard work which goes on every day across our BOB system we are aiming to put the NHS and social care on the front foot in supporting patients and local communities get the care they need.”

Rachael Corser, Chief Nursing Officer from the BOB Integrated Care Board said: “Our colleagues across NHS and care services continue to do an exceptional job in incredibly challenging circumstances, and we also need to thank local people for their ongoing support in using NHS services responsibly, and for showing respect and kindness towards health and care professionals.”