In an update on Monday 27 February, a spokesperson for NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire ICB, said that the plans due to be discussed at the ICB Board meeting on Thursday 2 March have been deferred to a later date., saying: "Papers for the rescheduled item will be published in the usual way via the ICB website.”
Plans to improve urgent care at Weston General Hospital by getting people treated and sent home quickly will come under the spotlight at an NHS meeting .
Plans to improve urgent care at Weston General Hospital by getting people treated and sent home quickly will come under the spotlight at an NHS meeting scheduled for next week.
The ICB (Integrated Care Board), Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire will meet next Thursday to discuss the proposals regarding special units which will rapidly deal with patients after accidents and emergencies
The proposed units, which have been designed by local clinicians and engagements with more than 5,000 local people, will focus on assessing and treating people more quickly so they can return home where they will be monitored by teams in the community. If approved the new services would begin to be put in place from April 1 this year.
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At the heart of the plan is a new Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) service, where patients will be rapidly assessed, diagnosed and given necessary treatment. This will be open from 8am to 10pm, seven days a week.
The Weston General A&E was shut overnight between 10pm and 8am in 2017 due to staffing problems. The ICB have confirmed these hours will remain the same and a 24 hour service A&E at the hospital is not being re-introduced.
The aim of the SDEC service is designed to prevent unplanned and unnecessary stays in hospital and people will be able to access it either via the hospital’s Emergency Department (ED) or through their local GP or a paramedic. The ICB said the service will be delivered by a team of doctors, nurses, advanced care practitioner and therapy staff who will be able to rapidly access diagnostic radiology tests with the scope to treat a third (33%) of all Emergency Department cases.
Paula Clarke, University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust’s executive managing director at Weston General Hospital said: “The local population is growing and there are significant inequalities within our communities. It is essential that we deliver a new model of emergency care that is better able to meet these changing health and care needs and we believe these plans do that.
“The planned changes would mean more people are able to receive high quality treatment and care faster, with shorter stays in hospital supported by closer working across hospital and community-based health and social care teams.”
Other plans include :
Enhancements to the Acute Monitoring Unit (AMU) and Emergency Department Observation Unit for adults, providing faster assessment, treatment and discharge.
Enhancements to the existing Geriatric Emergency Medicine (GEMS) service , which provides emergency treatment for people who live with frailty.
Implementing an Older People’s Assessment Unit (OPAU) – a short stay ward for older people with 14 beds for stays of up to 72 hours, with experts in care of older people providing rapid assessment, diagnosis, and treatment.
Improving and increasing surgical efficiencies in existing Weston General Hospital theatres that begin to improve access to some surgeries for local people.
Annabel Plaister, Healthy Weston patient and public representative said extensive public engagement had taken place over the last four years, with the most recent being feedback from 890 people between June and August last year.
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She said: “During this public engagement period, 73% of respondents indicated that they thought the plans would improve the hospital, with respondents also supporting the aim to help more people to go home quickly after going to hospital in an emergency.”
Meanwhile a pilot scheme at Taunton’s Musgrove Park Hospital now allows patients of knee or hip replacements to leave the hospital on the same day as their surgery with their consultant’s permission. This is to reduce waiting lists by reducing the number of people staying in hospital.
The hospital said since the scheme started, there has been a 30% increase in same day discharges. Allowing it to maximise use of operating theatres has already had an impact on reducing long waiting lists as there has been a significant backlog of hip and knee replacements since the pandemic.
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