NHS appeal to families in Suffolk and Essex as Winter pressures grow
They say winter pressures are putting a strain of services
The NHS in Suffolk and north east Essex is urging families and carers to help support patients who are medically ready to leave hospital, as winter pressures continue to put strain on health services.
Lisa Nobes, Chief Nurse for Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB), said seasonal illness and higher demand across hospitals, GP services and ambulance crews are creating additional challenges for the NHS.
Why there's more demand?
She explained: “Winter is always incredibly busy for the NHS, even busier than normal because of the amount of respiratory illness. There are lots of coughs and colds which most people can manage perfectly well, but if you’ve got underlying conditions, heart problems, lung problems, it can make you really poorly.”
Ms Nobes said flu cases and colder weather tend to result in more people becoming unwell during the winter months, increasing pressure across the healthcare system.
To help manage demand, additional hospital wards are opened during winter periods. However, she said this can place extra strain on staffing and resources.
What could help?
The NHS is now encouraging families and friends to support loved ones who are ready to be discharged, where it is safe and appropriate to do so.
Ms Nobes said getting patients home as soon as they are medically fit benefits both individuals and the wider health service.
She said, “We know people recover better at home. They sleep better, they have their own food and drink, and they mobilise better. When you’re in hospital, people tend to stay in bed and get muscle wastage.”
She added that remaining in hospital can also increase the risk of infection, particularly during peak winter illness.
“We also know there are infections in hospital and people are more at risk of getting infections in hospitals. So we want to keep them safe by getting them home,” she said.
"Every bed counts"
Ms Nobes said freeing up beds is critical at this time of year, allowing patients who are seriously unwell to be treated in specialist wards.
“At this time of year, every bed counts. Making sure we have beds in the right ward areas — stroke wards, heart wards, respiratory wards- is really important,” she said.
She explained that even small delays can have a wider impact on patient flow across hospitals.
“Making a difference with one person getting home one day earlier means that you get somebody else into that bed a day earlier,” she said.
The ICB says discharge delays are often caused by issues such as arranging transport or restarting care packages.
What family and friends can do to help
Ms Nobes said families and friends who are able to help should speak directly to ward staff.
“If you have somebody in hospital that the doctors have said can go home but they can’t get home because they haven’t got transport or they’re waiting for care packages, and you think you can help by collecting them or stepping in and making sure they have a cooked meal or help getting into bed, then please talk to the hospital,” she said.
She added that support must always be agreed with both the patient and hospital staff.
“It has to be somebody that the patient is comfortable with. It’s the patient’s choice,” she said.
Ms Nobes also highlighted the role of voluntary organisations, including the Red Cross, in helping patients return home safely.
She said: “Everybody wants to go home. When I talk to patients in hospital, the first thing they say is ‘when can I go home?’ If you know somebody in that situation and they’re happy for you to help them and the hospital is happy that you can help them, then let’s just get that done because it protects everybody.”