NHS Lanarkshire has moved out of the highest-risk “code black” status for the first time in eight months following its nine-day “firebreak” operation.
Health board officials say the Operation Flow project has “dramatically reduced pressure” across its three acute hospitals, improving conditions for both patients and staff.
Combined occupancy levels at Monklands, Wishaw and Hairmyres have decreased from an over-capacity 105 per cent to 94; while the number of emergency patients being seen within four hours has seen “significant improvement” from 49.7 per cent to 71.7 per cent.
It means NHS Lanarkshire has moved back down to the “red” risk level for the first time since July; with the health board having been at the most elevated “critical occupancy” code black status for all but two months since October 2021.
Chief executive Professor Jann Gardner said: “Getting out of black status and seeing our occupancy levels reduce below 100 per cent are huge milestones on our change journey, and are the result of the hard work and commitment our staff have shown.
“However, they are only first steps and we know we must remain focused if we are to successfully reduce risk in a sustainable way and continue to make further improvements – there is much work still ahead to continue our progress and ensure we have robust and effective services to provide the best care we can.”
Operation Flow has been developed over the last two months by NHS Lanarkshire staff along with the Scottish Ambulance Service and both North and South Lanarkshire Councils.
It focuses on how patients move through hospital from admission to discharge, aiming to improve patient outcomes, waiting times, capacity and staff satisfaction; and the programme has now moved into a third stage of maintaining and building on the progress made.
Changes being put in place following the firebreak include opening the Wishaw General discharge lounge seven days per week, and rolling out a new flow model with a focus on discharge procedures – beginning this week at Hairmyres and then across all acute and community hospitals.
NHS Lanarkshire say the firebreak has “made a huge impact” and say: “Staff [are] reporting a greater sense of control, co-ordination and calm, which is starting to have a positive impact on their wellbeing.”
Professor Gardner said: “We have achieved our initial aim of rapidly relieving pressure in our three university hospitals [and making] changes to our system that have been so needed – [but] the service transformation is just beginning.
“Well done to all our wonderful colleagues – they have shown amazing focus, commitment, enthusiasm and energy to make the firebreak such a big success and bring about immediate benefits to our patients and staff; and thank you too to the Lanarkshire public for their incredible support and understanding.”
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