A and E records smashed as heatwaves hit Shropshire hospitals
Departments have seen more daily attendances than ever before
Accident and emergency departments in Shropshire’s hospitals recorded their highest ever average daily attendances, in both June and July, amid repeated heatwaves, chiefs have confirmed.
Confirmation from The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) of record figures comes as health secretary Yvette Cooper warns that the NHS will have to add summer planning to preparations for winter as all year round pressures ramp up on NHS staff.
A spokesperson for SaTH said the average number of all types of emergency department attendances per day in the 30 days of June was the highest on record.
And a new record has also been set for the 31 days of July.
The trust confirmed to the LDRS that the figures are for all year round, including winter months when hospitals traditionally have to make plans to cope with huge seasonal surges in demand.
SaTH’s comparable data goes back seven years but officials reckon that it is “almost certain that no month prior to 2018 will have been higher.”
A trust committee has recorded that the very hot weather in June resulted in the highest month of average emergency department attendances per day on record, driven significantly by the record heatwave experienced in late June.
Despite pressures the county’s acute hospitals have seen “sustained improvements” when compared to last year.
On Monday, August 6, health secretary Yvette Cooper said the NHS “has to make sure we are preparing for summer pressures now in the same way we prepare for winter.”
She called on the public to look out for elderly people and other people vulnerable to the effects of extreme heat.
Group chief executive Jo Williams is set to praise staff at SaTH and the Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust (Shropcom) at a joint board meeting on Thursday (August 13).
“Nationally, current levels of demand are being compared with those more usually associated with winter, and I recognise the considerable impact this is having on colleagues working across the Group,” her presentation to the board reads.
“Staff continue to manage elevated levels of activity while maintaining their focus on safe, compassionate care, often in exceptionally challenging circumstances.
“I am very grateful to colleagues for their professionalism, flexibility, and resilience, and for the way teams continue to support one another and our patients.
“Their sustained commitment and compassion throughout this prolonged and difficult period are appreciated and should not be underestimated.”