Shropshire nursing boss shares top tips on keeping cool and safe in hot weather

High temperatures have continued this week and are set to carry on into the weekend. I would like to remind you and those that you care for to follow the guidance.

We have seen an increase at our hospitals in the number of people, particularly the elderly, attending our Emergency Departments (ED) due to dehydration. Our advice during this hot weather is to keep safe by ensuring that you drink plenty of fluids, stay in the shade and limit strenuous activity.

Please also look out for people who might struggle to keep cool.

We have successfully remedied the issues with our generator and therefore we have now fully reinstated admissions for maternity, neonates and children’s services at the Women and Children’s Unit at the Princess Royal Hospital, in Telford. We are grateful to our neighbouring hospitals who have supported us during this time.

Normal services have now resumed; if your baby or child needs urgent medical advice, please contact your GP or 111 as usual, or 999 in an emergency. If you are in labour, have symptoms of labour, or you need to speak to someone in maternity services, please ring our maternity triage team as usual on 01952 565948.

We are sincerely sorry for the impact this has had on women and their families and thank them for their patience and understanding. We would also like to thank our valued staff, partners, as well as staff from neighbouring hospitals for the care and dedication they have continued to show to our service users throughout.

Last week, it was announced that work on Shropshire’s first Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC), which will boost diagnostic capacity across the county, is close to completion.

The new facility will be based at Hollinswood, Telford, and will be ready to open for patients later this year.

This is great news as the centre will provide quicker and more convenient access to important tests for conditions such as cancer, heart and lung disease.

Its community location also means residents can access services more easily and it will help reduce pressure on our hospitals.

The renal dialysis service will also be moving onto the site from the Princess Royal Hospital shortly after the CDC opens.

It is Cervical Cancer Screening Awareness Week and we’re encouraging anyone who has received an invitation for cervical screening to book their appointment now.

The NHS Cervical Screening Programme saves thousands of lives every year by checking for high-risk Human Papillomavirus (HPV), which causes nearly all cervical cancers.

We along with GPs, Clinical Pharmacists and other healthcare professionals are encouraging you to schedule check-ups to help catch the early signs of cancer.

Today also marks the National Healthcare Estates and Facilities Day and this includes estates, portering, medical engineering, cleanliness and catering teams.

These teams work incredibly hard behind the scenes and are instrumental in keeping our hospitals running. Without them our patients and colleagues wouldn’t be fed, our equipment wouldn’t be fixed, our hospitals wouldn’t be clean, and our patients wouldn’t be at the right place at the right time.

I would like to thank all these teams and individuals for the vital contribution they make to patient care and to their colleagues.