Community nurses called in to cope with 'exceptional' Shropshire A&E demand

It comes after hospital bosses repeated a call for patients to use alternative NHS services if at all possible to ease demand on A&E.

Over the four days of the Easter bank holiday weekend, 1,404 people visited Shropshire's two main emergency departments in Telford's Princess Royal and Royal Shrewsbury Hospital – an average of 351 people each day. The highest figure was on Monday when 378 people attended the departments.

Community nurses who normally visit patients in homes have been called into the hospitals to help cope with overall demand caused by an increase of patients coming into A&E.

Shropdoc - The out-of-hours GP service Shropdoc is on 0333 2226655. It has been operated by GPs in the county for 20 years. It provides urgent services for patients when their own surgery is closed and whose needs cannot safely wait until the surgery is next open.

MIUs - Minor injury units (MIUs) help with cuts and wound infections. They are available at Bridgnorth Community Hospital, Ludlow Community Hospital, Oswestry Health Centre and Whitchurch Community Hospital as well as Welshpool and Newtown.

111 - NHS 111 can provide medical help 24 hours a day when it's not a 999 emergency. The trained adviser will ask a series of questions to assess the symptoms and immediately direct the persons to the best medical care. Calls are free from landlines and mobile phones.

Pharmacies - Pharmacists are trained to a high level and should be the first option for people with many minor complaints. They can offer advice on common problems such as coughs, colds, aches and pains and can also help you decide whether you need to see a doctor.

Staff from Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust, whose job it is to help patients leave hospital and also prevent people being admitted by providing care in their homes, are among those who have been helping at both PRH and RSH as part of an ongoing arrangement.

In a separate move, a report due to be discussed at the trust's board meeting tomorrow recommends that the A&E units at both RSH and PRH should remain open 24 hours a day. It has shelved plans to look at closing one of the departments at night as a temporary measure to ease pressure on staffing.

The report says steps were in place to deal with increased numbers and monitor their impact on the hospital.

It says : "The trust continues to be experiencing exceptional levels of demand and concerns of capacity both in our inpatient and emergency areas.

"This has led to patients being escalated and occupying spaces that are sub-optimal in terms of our ability to care for them safely or with dignity and respect.

"In order to assess the current risks, the trust is undertaking risk assessments of patients requiring boarding or escalating in non-ward areas prior to them being moved."

The report says everything is being done to deal with the influx of numbers, saying it is monitoring "incidents, complaints and infection prevention control".

Last week the PRH declared a "black alert" because doctors and nurses continue to be overwhelmed by the demand on services.

Level 4, also known as black escalation status, means there is severe pressure on services.

The NHS uses a national internal alert system based on the colours green, amber, red and black to rank how busy a local health or social care system is.

Black alert status happens when a hospital cannot cope with the number of people coming into A&E because too few people are being discharged.

It effectively means the hospital does not have enough bed capacity to cope. Debbie Kadum, chief operating officer at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, said: "We have continued to see high numbers of people attending our A&E departments, especially over the Easter weekend.

"We know that many people see A&E as the best option if they feel ill or if they have suffered injury, but many conditions can be treated using alternative local services.

"This is better for the patient, as they could avoid what can be a stressful visit to hospital and a potentially lengthy wait.

"Pharmacies are experts in medicines and will use their clinical expertise, together with their practical knowledge, to advise you on common problems such as coughs, colds, aches and pains and can also help you decide whether you need to see a doctor.

"NHS 111 can provide medical help fast when it's not a 999 emergency.

"As well as this, minor injuries units in Bridgnorth, Whitchurch, Ludlow, Oswestry, Welshpool and Newtown may treat you quicker than A&E for minor injuries."

Across the country overstretched A&E departments spent one of the busiest weekends of the year dealing with people who gorged on Easter eggs.

One hospital was forced to plead people who had overindulged to stay away.

South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust issued a Facebook post asking over-eaters to seek help elsewhere.

"Believe it or not, we do have people coming into Accident & Emergency with stomach aches caused by over-indulgence," it wrote on Sunday.