Mobile recovery unit put into action at Shrewsbury hospital as intense pressures continue
A mobile unit for patients recovering from surgery has been put into action at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital as it continues to face intense winter pressures.
The portable room offers post-operation recovery space for up to eight day surgery patients at a time.
The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (Sath), which runs RSH and Telford's Princess Royal Hospital, says it is a fully-equipped mobile recovery unit and a walkway connects it to the entrance of the treatment centre.
The trust expects the extra capacity will help alleviate the impact that winter pressures are having on the day surgery service.
It comes as Sath continues to see high demand for its services.
On Sunday, more than 400 people attended Shropshire's A&E departments and four ambulances had to be diverted away from PRH during peak demand.
Priority
More than 150 patients arrived by ambulance – the equivalent of one ambulance every 10 minutes for 24 hours.
It has led to health bosses renewing their plea to only use A&E when it is absolutely necessary.
Kath Preece, head of nursing for scheduled care at Sath, said ensuring patients have full access to the treatment they require has always been a priority for the trust.
She said: “This mobile unit gives us the ability to plan for patients to receive their day surgery procedures over the winter months.
"It has proved a big success in the past and we hope the mobile unit will be just as well received this time.
“The unit has been in operation at RSH for a couple of weeks and having taken time to speak with some of the patients using it I have been delighted to hear of positive experiences about the care being provided.
“I would like to thank the day surgery nursing team, our theatre teams and our estates department for enabling this service to function at such short notice.”
Neil Rogers, interim assistant chief operating officer for scheduled care at Sath, said the past two months had already seen spikes in emergency attendances and a higher volume of patients brought in by ambulance compared to last winter.
He said the unit was "crucial" and was likely to remain in use for the next six weeks.
Last week the county's A&E departments saw more than 2,600 people – over 350 more attendances than in the same week last year.
It worked out as an average of 370 people every day.
Demand
Nigel Lee, chief operating officer at the trust, said: "In common with many hospitals across the country, we are seeing very high demand on our A&E services at the moment.
“Every day we are seeing acute and complex cases and a high number of patients arriving by ambulance needing urgent and immediate attention.
"Last week we saw 725 ambulances attendances at our A&Es – over 150 more than the same week last year.
“We would therefore ask people to think if they need the specialist service that our A&Es provide.
"For more minor injuries and illnesses, there are a range of other services which may be able to treat your condition more appropriately and more quickly.”
People have been asked to consider using pharmacies and NHS 111 in non-emergency situations.
Nigel added: “Our priority is to ensure that patients arriving at our A&Es receive the right treatment.
"More complex cases have more complex needs which take longer to meet, but we will never compromise on patient care.
“The challenges we face are well-known and require a long-term strategic solution.
"In the meantime, we continue to work with our partners both in the NHS and in social care so that those patients who no longer need the specialist care we provide can leave our hospitals in a safe and timely manner.
“I would like to thank our staff who have worked so hard to ensure our patients are treated safely and with kindness despite these very challenging conditions.”
Earlier this month, new NHS figures revealed that bed occupancy rates at Shropshire's hospitals soared above recommended safe levels last month.
Levels at Sath reached an average of 90.7 per cent, exceeding the recommended 85 per cent to maintain patient safety standards.
On December 9, the county's hospitals were close to capacity as the bed occupancy rate reached 95.4 per cent.
The mobile unit is being supplied by Gloucester-based Vanguard Healthcare Solutions Ltd.
