Accident & Emergency departments in north Cumbria are seeing a significant increase in the numbers of people accessing services.
The A&E departments at the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle and West Cumberland Hospital are seeing up to two thirds more people than normal.
Dr Emma Farrow, A&E consultant said:
“This week in particular we have seen a rise in the numbers of people coming to A&E at the Cumberland infirmary and the West Cumberland Hospital. At times there have been nearly 200 people waiting between both sites. Once you have been seen, those who need to be admitted are experiencing very long waits for a bed because of the number of people already in hospital. Our priority is always patient safety and we monitor everyone in the departments closely.
“We always prioritise those who are in the most need and those with life threatening conditions. If you or someone you know, needs urgent help, may be suffering a heart attack or stroke, or is in a life threatening situation always come to A&E or call 999.”
“However, If you have an issue that is not life threatening or serious then you will need to wait a number of hours to be seen. There are lots of other options available for if you have an urgent healthcare need, including 111 online, pharmacy, or your GP. You can also access our urgent treatment centres in Penrith or Keswick.”
The clinical teams at the urgent treatment centres in Penrith and Keswick can deal with anything non-urgent. We urge those who can, to access our urgent treatment centres rather than A&E if your issue is not urgent. The wait will be far less than A&E. Keswick UTC is open from 08.30am until 6pm and Penrith from 8am until 10pm.
This pressure is expected to increase further during the industrial action next week. However, the messages are the same; please use the right service for your needs. The Trust is currently working on plans to make sure as many services as possible are maintained during the industrial action.
Dr Adrian Clements, executive medical director explained:
“We are putting plans in place to make sure that services can continue safely during the industrial action. We will need to stand down some planned appointments and procedures but we will contact anyone who is affected by this directly. It is very important that you attend any appointment you have unless we contact you to say otherwise.”
We are also working hard to make sure that patients are discharged in a timely way so that we can make sure we can admit those who need acute care.
Evidence shows that you'll recover quicker at home. If someone has been in hospital for a long time and their home has not been checked there can be issues such as burst pipes.
Laura Barnes, Transfer of Care Hub Lead Therapist at North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust explains how people can help:
“Last winter, we saw a number of hospital discharges delayed because of issues with properties. Things like water leaks because the heating had not been on for some time. We ask that friends and relatives to make sure the home the patient is returning to following a stay in hospital is warm and comfortable with food in the fridge. Regular checking of homes will help your loved one get back to their home comforts without an unnecessary delay.”
There are a number of different ways the NHS can support you as well as simple ways you can help yourself.
- Ordering your repeat prescriptions so that you know that you have enough medication over the festive period.
- Having a well-stocked medicine cabinet means that you can self-care a number of issues such as coughs and cold and minor cuts and grazes.
- Pharmacists are experts who can offer advice on a range of conditions and in some cases refer you to other health professionals. They often have private consultation rooms as well.