Trust Medical Team Preparing for Busy Winter
17/12/2018
The Southern Trust’s Acute Medical team has been working hard to prepare for another busy winter in both Daisy Hill and Craigavon Area hospitals.
Dr Shane Moan, Clinical Director for Medicine and Unscheduled Care at Daisy Hill says:
“With an ongoing increase in patients coming to our hospitals, we are very busy all year round. But winter does present extra challenges - with more respiratory illness and vomiting and diarrhoea bugs circulating in the community.
“All of the staff throughout our hospitals always go that extra mile throughout the winter making sure everyone gets the best possible care.
“We have also been working hard to put plans in place to cope with the extra pressures – we have additional beds that can be opened if needed and we are working closely with surgical colleagues to minimise the need to cancel operations for patients already booked in. We are also working with community services like domiciliary care and residential homes to help us get support in place as quickly as possible to discharge those patients who are fit to go home.”
Dr Philip Murphy, Associate Medical Director for Unscheduled Care and Medicine based at Craigavon Area Hospital adds: “In addition to our immediate plans to cope with this winter, we have a number of new developments to help address the ongoing pressures on unscheduled care services. The Older Person’s Assessment Unit and Acute Care at Home services are dedicated to preventing unnecessary inpatient admissions for our growing older population.
“We also have welcomed investment at both hospitals to enhance emergency care. Early in the new year the new £1million Direct Admissions Unit will open at Daisy Hill and later in 2019, we will see the completion of our new £1 million Ambulatory Care Unit at Craigavon. Complementing our Emergency Departments, these units will help reduce overnight stays for those who do not immediately need an inpatient admission and free up beds for the most acutely ill patients.”
For some tips and advice on choosing the right service and staying well this winter, go to www.nidirect.gov.uk