FIFE HEALTH services are preparing to be put under extreme pressure after it admitted the past two winters have been among the toughest ever.
NHS Fife has prepared a special winter plan as it braces itself for severe weather, norovirus outbreaks and the possibility of a flu pandemic.
Recent severe winters have seen operations cancelled, accident and emergency waiting targets missed and elderly patients and those with complex needs unable to be discharged from hospital.
Bed blocking, or delayed discharges, reached crisis level in January 2011, when there were 181 patients waiting to get home.
Ways to cope with the challenges of winter include the appointment of an incident response team and access to four-wheel drive vehicles.
Preventing the spread of norovirus is also a priority. The illness has caused wardclosures, delayed discharges and staff absence.
NHS Fife said communication between nursing homes and hospitals and keeping full patient records for those moved from wards that have been closed were among its ideas for tackling the spread of norovirus.
It has also appointed “flu vaccination champions”.
Director of clinical delivery Andrea Wilson said: “Winter brings with it a number of challenges that may affect service delivery.
“Cooperation between different parts of the health and social care system continues in order to plan for the coming winter and to review our plans, based on our experience from the previous year.”
A report by NHS Fife’s director of acute services, George Cunningham, said: “Vaccination uptake this year remains a key priority.
“NHS boards recognise this year’s campaign will have the advantage of a single vaccine covering both seasonal and H1N1 strains.
“However, the approach or attitude of staff towards vaccination will needattention to ensure they do not become blas of the importance of flu vaccination.”
His report goes on to say: “The last two winters have been among the toughest on record.
“They have brought a number of challenges that affect service delivery and quality of care, including the flow of patients from admission through to discharge.
“Cooperation between different parts of the health and social care system continues to improve, supporting partnerships that will help to deal with the pressures winter, norovirus, adverse weather and a pandemic flu outbreak would bring.”
He added: “The developments designed in the winter plan are not designed to last just a few months.
“They are part of the long-term local strategy and the commissioning ofresponsive services that meet patient need.”
“Although every effort has been made to prepare for winter by developing contingency plans and escalation procedures, it is recognised that from time to time, all agencies are likely to be functioningunder extreme pressure,” he said.
“There will be an increase in demand for health and social care services during this period.
“NHS Fife as the lead agency has worked hard to harmonise procedures across Fife and acknowledge the procedures in place for enabling Fife residents admitted as emergencies to hospitals in Tayside to be discharged in a timely manner.
“It will continue to work closely with Fife Council in improving services across the area.
“It will also work in planning for the challenges posed by a growth of an ageing population.”
arobertson@thecourier.co.uk