NHS bosses across Nottinghamshire have asked the public to help ahead of the New Year's weekend as the healthcare system continues to face sustained pressures. Both Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) - which runs the Queen's Medical Centre and Nottingham City Hospital - and Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs King’s Mill, Newark and Mansfield Community Hospital, declared an internal 'critical incident' on Thursday (December 29).
It comes a week after NUH declared an internal 'critical incident' amid the pressures on the Emergency Department (ED), with some operations delayed. The alert was subsequently expanded across the wider Nottinghamshire NHS - the second system-wide critical incident since July.
Officials at NUH said on Thursday they were facing a large number of people arriving at ED who needed to be admitted to hospital suffering with respiratory conditions, including flu. Now the NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board - a partnership between the county’s NHS and care organisations - have urged the public to use services wisely in the run-up to another busy period.
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Stuart Poynor, deputy chief executive at NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, said: “The NHS is open for business and our services are there for anyone who needs them but we are prioritising patients with the highest level of need, particularly those requiring urgent and emergency care.
“There are things everyone can do to help, and we are asking people to use our services wisely and to think about self-care as an option for some conditions, such as coughs and colds, before automatically going to the NHS for help. If self-care isn’t an option, then choosing the right service will help patients to get the right treatment first time and usually more quickly – 111 online is a great resource to help with that."
He added: "We are expecting the New Year bank holiday to be particularly busy so we are asking people to plan ahead around important things like repeat prescriptions but also to think about how they can support our health and social care system at the busiest time of the year. One way the public can help is by supporting our NHS teams to get your relatives home from hospital if they are medically fit to leave.”
People are asked to call 999 or attend the A&E departements only for serious accidents, or genuine emergencies. Those who need urgent medical care but it is not an emergency are urged to visit NHS 111 online or call the service for advice on how to get the care you need at any time of day or night.
The NHS App is available to access for a wide range of services and information, such as accessing medical records, booking and managing appointments, reviewing medication and ordering prescriptions as well as checking symptoms. Members of the public can also help ease pressures by using their local pharmacy.
Pharmacies can help with allergies, constipation, headaches, earaches and many other ailments. Many pharmacies are open over the Christmas and New Year break, you can find opening hours for your local pharmacy here.
GPs are open as usual on Tuesday, January 3. However members of the public are asked to check their General Practice website for the period between Christmas and New Year.
Urgent Treatment Centres treat injuries including sprains, strains, suspected fractures, bites, cuts, scalds and other non-emergency conditions. ICB advised people that waiting times are usually much shorter than A&E. These centres are available at these locations:
- Nottingham – The NHS Urgent Care Centre (next to the BBC building) is open every day from 7am-7pm. You don’t need an appointment to attend. Seaton House, London Road, Nottingham, NG2 4LA Tel: 0115 883 8500
- Newark – Newark Hospital is open 9am-10pm (last patient admitted at 9.30pm). It can be found on Boundary Road, NG24 4DE
- Ilkeston Community Hospital – is open 8am – 8pm. It can be found on Heanor Road , Ilkeston, Derbyshire, DE7 8LN.
Health bosses have also alerted the public that flu and Covid-19 are currently circulating in the community. They advised people to stay at home if they have symptoms and get their jabs if they are eligible. More details about how to get a Covid-19 jab can be found here. ICB also has further information on non-urgent healthcare options in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, which can be accessed here.
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