Ambulance service bosses expect a rise in Covid-19 during the winter to add to the pressure on the NHS and exacerbate issues with ambulance handover delays.
North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) has presented its winter plan to its board - and the plan features a stark warning about how the so-called "Twindemic" of a bad flu season kicking in alongside the continued spread of Covid-19 could add to the stress on an already under-pressure health service. However, despite the warnings, NEAS has laid out a range of measures to help cope with what's anticipated to be a tough few months and says it has a "robust" plan.
These include increasing ambulance capacity by boosting the number of "third party" vehicles used to raise the number of ambulances on the road, increasing overtime, and boosting the number of call handlers and health advisors available to support the public.
The report to NEAS' board, presented by chief operating officer Stephen Segasby, said: "It is anticipated that current high levels of service demand, increased patient acuity and hospital handover delays will be exacerbated by a resurgence in Covid-19 and seasonal respiratory viruses including flu."
This comes as the latest UK Health Security Agency figures show that the North East has the highest rate of Covid-19 hospital admissions in the country, albeit the national figure is currently falling.
NEAS reports that a "winter surge management working group" has been put together to ensure services operate smoothly throughout the winter and identify risks as they emerge. The report also highlights the period between December 16 and January 3 as one of key concern.
The plan to deal with the anticipated pressure also includes work to speed up response times to Category 2 incidents - "a serious condition, such as stroke or chest pain" - and minimise time lost in ambulance handover delays outside of hospitals. NEAS said it was to launch an initiative in Sunderland called "fit to sit" to limit the number of people in trolleys, and this could be expanded throughout the region.
NEAS has also submitted a bit for funding from NHS commissioners for at least six new patient transport vehicles, to help with hospital discharges. A joint event with NHS trusts around the region is being held in November to explore ways of improving hospital handovers.
This comes as the latest NEAS board meeting received a report showing that in September, the average time for a handover was 26 minutes and 22 seconds. The target is 15 minutes.
Earlier this autumn, at NEAS' annual general meeting, NEAS chief executive Helen Ray spoke about fears for the winter. Referencing the cost of energy and responding to a question regarding how the ambulance service would look after the most vulnerable this winter, she said: "We absolutely 100% agree and are worried about this. We are worried about the wider population and the financial pressures that are brought. And we are very concerned that people will not switch their heating on and hypothermia and other things could come to the fore."
She said the Trust winter plan was "very robust" and subject to checks and balances across the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care System, and added: "We don't have a silver bullet but we do have some really good plans in place so that we do recognise that and can prevent individuals and communities from suffering."
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