HEALTH chiefs are urging residents not to attend Accident and Emergency at the county’s hospitals unless they have a life threatening condition.
Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is experiencing a high demand and has implemented their Full Capacity Protocol as all of their current bed capacity is full.
The Trust is prioritising the safety of the sickest patients and making extra space available on wards within the hospitals.
The trust is also identifying those patients who can be safely discharged sooner than originally planned.
This may be either to the patient’s home or to another bed such as a community hospital or care home with medical support in place.
The county’s three NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups (NHS Redditch and Bromsgrove, NHS South Worcestershire and NHS Wyre Forest) and Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust are urging the public during this busy time to understand what options are available to them and to choose alternative services to A&E where it is appropriate to do so.
Jo Galloway, Chief Nursing Officer for NHS Redditch and Bromsgrove and Wyre Forest Clinical Commissioning Groups, said: “Patients with a wide range of minor injuries which do not require a visit to A&E (such as cuts, wounds, sprains, strains and minor burns) can also be treated at Minor Injury Units at Bromsgrove, Evesham, Kidderminster, Malvern and Tenbury.
To find out the opening hours of your local Minor Injury Unit visit www.worcestershire.nhs.uk.
Patients are also being encouraged to contact their own GP, visit their local pharmacist or dial NHS 111 for advice and support about alternative services.
More information about choosing the right health service at the right time, as well as where people can access services, can be found on www.isaandeforme.com
