Scottish Government
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NHS winter update
£50m action plan has helped to cope with demand.
Hospitals across Scotland have coped better over the winter period so far this year, according to Health Secretary Alex Neil.
Speaking as the winter period begins to draw to a close, Mr Neil said that changes put in place by health boards this year have helped to manage additional demand.
The changes have been made as part of the Scottish Government’s £50 million emergency care action plan, which aims to improve the way that emergency care operates across Scotland.
Over £9 million of this money has already been released to health boards to support their planning, which is triple the amount given to boards for winter planning last year.
As part of the plan, NHS Forth Valley has put in place a number of changes this winter.
These include developing a frailty unit, specifically designed to improve outcomes for frail elderly patients by reducing avoidable hospitalisation and supporting patients to be cared for in their own home/communities.
The health board has also opened additional beds at Stirling Community Hospital and is working with the local authority to reduce unnecessary hospital delays for patients.
Mr Neil said:
“Last year we saw increased pressures on our hospitals in the peak of winter, including an early start to the norovirus season, an increase in respiratory illnesses, and a rise in the number of people attending A&E in the peak of winter.
“Following last winter, we recognised that improvements needed to be made, and that is why we introduced our three year £50 million emergency care action plan, to help improve emergency care across Scotland.
“Over £9 million of this money has already been released to health boards to support their planning, which is triple the amount given to boards for winter planning last year.
“As part of the action plan, health boards across Scotland put in place a number of new measures to ensure we could manage the added strain that winter can bring.
“I am encouraged that this winter NHS Boards have reported they are coping much better than last year.
“However, I recognise that there will always be challenges in managing pressure on our hospitals, and I am not complacent. I remain very much aware that pressure on our hospitals can fluctuate throughout the year, and that the worst of the winter weather could still be to come. We are continuing to work closely with boards to meet challenges as they arise.”
Dr Liz Millar, Consultant Geriatrician for NHS Forth Valley, said: “It’s well documented that staying in hospital a long time can lead to older people losing their confidence and mobility and we know that most older people want to return to their own home as soon as possible.
“By providing rapid access to a wide range of specialist care, treatment and support we can streamline their care, improve their experience and help them to return home to live as independent a life as they can.”
Mr Neil has also provided detail on some NHS statistics, which are part of regular monitoring on how the health service is performing this year.
These include:
- The number of people attending A&E who were seen and treated within four hours was 93.5 per cent in December 2013, which has increased from 90.3 per cent in December 2012
- 480 patients spent more than eight hours in A&E (0.38 per cent of all attendances) in December 2013, a reduction of 69 per cent from December 2012 when the figure was 1,555
- 42 patients spent more than twelve hours in A&E (0.03 per cent of all attendances) in December 2013, a reduction of 87 per cent from December 2012 when the figure was 323
- 90.8 per cent of patients in Scotland were treated in 18 weeks or less in December 2013
- Flu rates are at expected levels for this time of year at 21.5 GP consultations per 100,000 population
- Two wards were closed to norovirus as at 24 February compared to 11 at the same time last year.
