Winter NHS pressures in Hartlepool have just begun, health boss warns

Hospitals across the country, including the University Hospital of Hartlepool, are experiencing additional pressures this winter.

Bucking a regional and national trend, the number of admissions to emergency departments in North Tees and Hartlepool reduced in December, compared to a year earlier.

The North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust reported 4,288 emergency hospital attendances last month, compared to 5,811 in December 2016 – a fall of 26%.

Ken Bremner is warning there are more winter pressures to come.

The introduction of a GP-led service at the University Hospital of Hartlepool has reduced the number of ‘inappropriate attendances’ at the hospital’s emergency department, but emergency admissions overall have continued to rise through the winter, say health chiefs.

NHS bosses have praised staff for their work during such a hectic period.

Speaking on behalf of all NHS providers in the region, Ken Bremner, chief executive of City Hospitals Sunderland and South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trusts, said: “The last few weeks have been an extremely busy and challenging time across the region.

“NHS staff have worked relentlessly and beyond the call of duty to provide safe patient care, despite the extreme demands on services.

“We should all be extremely proud of the way in which teams are pulling together, often across organisational boundaries, to effectively manage these pressures together and in the very best interests of patient care.

“Although the festivities are over, this is really just the start of the busy winter period for the NHS and for the thousands of NHS staff who work across the region. All trusts have already done a great deal of planning and preparation to make sure we continue to cope well with the influx of very poorly patients that we expect to see at this time of year.”

Health bosses are urging those who are experiencing flu-like symptoms to stay away from hospitals, with seasonal flu and winter vomiting bug ‘norovirus’ circulating in communities.

For those who are otherwise fit and healthy, symptoms should clear up with good self-care, resting, drinking plenty of fluids and taking over the counter medication.

Before deciding to attend hospital, people are advised to call NHS 111 for advice, while there are also more GP appointments available.

For detailed information of all available services, visit www.urgentoremergency.co.uk.