I'd like to thank everyone who cares for Blackpool patients in a caring, safe and respectful way
The Chief Operating Officer for Blackpool Teaching Hospitals has thanked staff for their ‘tireless’ work as figures show the number of people waiting 12 hours on A&E has been slashed by 43%.
Amid national efforts to reduce ‘corridor care’ - defined by NHS England as when patients spend 45 minutes or more in clinically inappropriate areas of emergency departments or wards, such as hallways or waiting rooms - Blackpool has been highlighted as a particular success story.
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At Blackpool Victoria Hospital, there has been a 43% cut in 12-hour waits as well as reductions in their patients’ length of stay and those waiting for discharge. The improvement as being attributed to senior staff being present in A&E and using data to predict busy periods.
Janet Barnsley, Chief Operating Officer for Blackpool Teaching Hospitals, said: “At Blackpool Teaching Hospitals, we have worked closely with system partners, including NHS England, to improve the experience of our patients.
“We have recently refined how some patients are streamed when they access our emergency department, ensuring they are directed to the correct specialty more quickly. This has helped to reduce overcrowding in the emergency department and has also led to a positive trend in ambulance handover times.
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“The Trust continues to work closely with primary care and urgent treatment centres across our area to help treat patients outside of a hospital setting wherever possible. One example of this is our Virtual Wards service, which is seeing improved utilisation.
“Another area we are continually improving is supporting patients to get home when it is medically safe for them to do so, this helps create capacity for those waiting to be admitted. A key part of improving access to emergency services is helping people to access the right service at the right time – whether that’s their local pharmacy, NHS 111, or an urgent treatment centre for minor injuries or illnesses.
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“While we know there is still more to do, as we work towards eliminating corridor care – we see these changes as a positive start. I would like to thank all our colleagues who work tirelessly to care for patients in a caring, safe and respectful way.”
The issue of corridor care is one which is being targeted by authorities, with NHS leaders in North West Trusts with the highest levels of corridor care receiving specialised and tailored support as part of plans to eradicate corridor care by the end of this Parliament.
It comes as the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) revealed the locations of 40 new and expanded same-day emergency care and urgent care centres, which will allow patients to be treated faster and ease pressure on A&Es.