Expanded Hospital at Home services, a public awareness campaign and targeted investment to reduce waiting lists are all part of a newly-unveiled health preparedness plan for winter.
A collective effort is critical in the months ahead to ease pressures on the NHS, Health Secretary Angela Constance said as she launched the new national winter health plan.
In a statement to the Scottish Parliament, the Health Secretary set out several actions to provide guidance to health and social care systems ahead of winter, including:
an increased focus on community care, with over 10,000 patients benefiting from an expansion of Hospital at Home service
a Home First approach to healthcare
a new public awareness campaign to help people access the right care, in the right place, at the right time which will launch at the end of October
renewed calls for eligible patients to get vaccinated against seasonal viruses – including flu – which hospitalised almost 6,700 people last winter
winter-specific planned care funding from the £90 million announced earlier this year to reduce waiting lists for operations and procedures
further implementation of a new national plan to improve the flow of patients through hospital and free up bed capacity.
Ms Constance said: “A collective effort will be critical in the months ahead as we look to support our NHS through the winter. There is a role for everyone in Scotland to play.
“Seasonal illnesses, including flu, are already beginning to circulate, and I encourage everyone who is eligible to come forward for vaccination when invited. Last winter, almost 5,000 adults and 1,700 children in Scotland were hospitalised as a result of flu. Getting vaccinated protects you and those around you.
“It’s also important people know how and where to access care. Attendances at A&E remain extremely high, and many people could be treated more appropriately in services closer to home.
“A&E should be used for emergencies. Choosing the right service can help people receive advice and treatment more quickly while ensuring emergency care remains available for those who need it most.”
£50 million to build Scottish Ambulance Service capacity
A £50 million funding boost for Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) recruitment and up to £12 million to expand Hospital at Home are among measures to support the health and care system this winter.
The Scottish Government and COSLA’s joint Winter Plan, published today, identifies new funding for SAS to support work already underway to recruit a further 317 frontline staff to help increase capacity to emergency response. It will also see 18 additional clinicians working in the call centre hub who, through additional triage, can offer patients alternative treatment routes in cases which are not time-critical, reducing the number of hospital admissions.
The expansion of Hospital at Home, which enables people to be treated at home rather than on a ward, is intended to deliver at least 380 additional beds this winter – significantly increasing the total service capacity.
The Scottish Government has been working closely with COSLA, Health and Social Care Partnerships, and NHS Boards on a number of further measures to ensure they are prepared for the winter period. This includes a Delayed Discharge Action Plan and improvements to the reporting of data to better identify specific areas for further support or escalation.
Health Secretary Michael Matheson said: “Our highly skilled and committed workforce are the cornerstone of our response every winter, both in health and social care. I am extremely grateful for their continued hard work and dedication in the face of sustained pressure. As we approach the Winter period their efforts will be vital in ensuring we deliver high quality care for the public.
“We are in no doubt that this winter will be extremely challenging for our health and social care system. Our Winter plan builds on the lessons we have learned from previous years and preparations have been on-going since spring. Our whole system approach is based on ensuring people can access the care that is right for them – at the right time and in the right place.
“Our additional investment of up to £12 million to expand the Hospital at Home service will allow people, especially elderly patients, patients with respiratory conditions and children, to receive treatments in the comfort of their own home and will crucially help reduce pressure on our A&E departments this winter.
“As a result our significant investment of over £15 million, an additional 1,000 nurses, midwives and Allied Health Professional from overseas have joined NHS Scotland in the last two years to bolster our existing workforce this winter.
“Our £50 million funding boost for the Scottish Ambulance Service will also help tackle increased demand and support on-going recruitment to drive up capacity for emergency response. This investment will also help reduce the need for people to go to hospital which is a key part of our approach this winter.”
Cllr Paul Kelly, COSLA’s Health and Social Care Spokesperson said: “As key partners in ensuring people and communities are safe and cared for over the winter period, and indeed throughout the year, local authorities have a vital role in enabling people to continue to safely access the care and support they need when they need it.
“We expect the winter to be a very challenging period across the whole health and social care system at a time when the system is already experiencing significant demand pressures and challenges with recruitment and retention.
“That is why COSLA have worked closely with Scottish Government in producing this plan, recognising the importance of the integration of health and social care, and the clear leadership role of Local Government in doing everything we can to maximise capacity across health, social care, and social work, and ensure people get safe and timely access to services during peak winter pressures.”
The Scottish Ambulance Service has welcomed the announcement of £50 million funding by Michael Matheson, Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care.
Michael Dickson OBE, Chief Executive of the Scottish Ambulance Service said: “This funding will allow us to invest in frontline staff, ambulances, vehicles and our 999 call centre operations. We know that winter will be challenging but the Service, and our committed staff, are working hard to meet those challenges.
“We have a whole range of initiatives which will come into place over winter to help us meet the increased demands on our services, including work to ensure we provide the quickest possible response to our most critically ill patients and we continue to support, where appropriate, less seriously ill patients to be managed at home or in the community, avoiding unnecessary A&E visits.
“Our patients and our staff are our most important priorities, and this investment will ensure we can continue to deliver the very best to our patients whilst supporting our staff who play such a critical role in their care.”
