A message has been sent to anyone with friends or family in hospital in the build-up to Christmas.
Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust has issued a message to people about how they can help get loved ones home before the big day this Sunday. Staff at the trust, as well as staff at St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals, are aiming to get as many patients home as possible before Christmas Day.
The message has been issued due to benefits to the community as well as pressures on patient flow and bed capacities. Some reasons why it is important to be home for Christmas include better recovery, less risk of infection and positive effects on mental health.
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Speaking about the "Ho Ho Home for Christmas" campaign, Lesley Neary, Chief Operating Officer at Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust said: “We are working extremely closely with colleagues across the wider health and social care system to ensure we work effectively together to mitigate any potential delays to discharges and the aim of being ‘Home for Christmas’ for our patients.
“Nobody wants to spend longer in hospital than they need to, not least around the festive period, and we know that our patients recover faster if they are in their own homes in a more comfortable and familiar setting.
“If you have a relative or loved one in hospital who is well enough to go home, but is waiting to be discharged with home care and community health support, you may be able to help them to get home more quickly if you and your family are in a position to support them at home and we would ask people to speak to the ward manager or nurse in charge if this is something they can help with.’’
If people have a family member, friend or neighbour in hospital, they can do a number of things to help with the discharge such as staying in regular contact with NHS staff, arranging suitable clothing and shows to be available at the time of discharge and organising transport home for the patient.
Dr Kate Clark, Medical Director at Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust, said: "It also helps to do little things like popping some milk and food in their fridge, turning on the heating in their home and checking for trip/fall hazards like trailing cables and rugs. All these things can help ease the discharge of patients and get them back in their own homes in time to celebrate Christmas.
"Our dedicated staff will care for patients like they are members of their own family, but there is no place like home. Over the coming weeks, our inpatient teams will be assessing people’s health and doing everything they can to get them home in time for Christmas and the new year celebrations.
"It’s important to identify patients now who will be able to go home for Christmas so we can make sure that any care needs are put in place ahead of time. If patients are unable to go home, but don’t need to be in hospital, we will aim to arrange patient transfers to the relevant community settings wherever possible."
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