Winter Pressures

[Phil-on-a-bike]

It's THAT TIME again... our Hospital trust is making it's Winter Pressures preparations.

I've volunteered for extra shifts on the Acute Medical admission suite.

Looking forward to being back on the 'front line' for a while. (I'm sure that rush of enthusiasm will last until about halfway through the first shift!)

Last year, the Winter Pressures preparations here were very effective - the increased workload was accommodated with very little disruption.

Anybody else bracing themselves for winter?

[Fiona59]

Yup, here in Canada, the 'winter beds' are being readied.

The flu season has started. Snow the other week brought increase in ortho cases, good times ahead

[Silverdragon102, BSN]

Loved working in the MAU and never found any difference in working summer or winter the demand was the same, no beds and too many admissions

[spacemonkey15]

We've been at capacity for most of the year, A&E waits are at their worst point for over a decade.

I kinda feel a bit Jon Snow about it all to be quite honest.

if we actually have a cold winter, compared to the mild ones we've had over the last few years I genuinely fear whether the NHS will cope or collapse.

[Phil-on-a-bike]

Hi Spacemonkey: The idea of "the NHS" as a single entity is a misconception, in my opinion.

The bottom line is that - at hospital level - there is no one single NHS any more.

Ever since the institution of hospital trusts, the NHS has been a league table of competing teams.

We're lucky here - first class CEO, sound finances, outstanding CQC rating.

I'm sure there are NHS trusts that a severe winter will put into special measures... but they'll be those who are already circling the drain anyway. If it wasn't winter, it would be lawsuits, ill-advised property deals, inability to retain staff, whatever, that tipped them over the edge.

Fiona: my idea of Canadian winter is when you go out one morning, and instead of the usual grizzly going through your garbage... it's a polar bear. If that's an illusion, please don't shatter it for me!

[spacemonkey15]

Hi Spacemonkey: The idea of "the NHS" as a single entity is a misconception, in my opinion.

The bottom line is that - at hospital level - there is no one single NHS any more.

Ever since the institution of hospital trusts, the NHS has been a league table of competing teams.

We're lucky here - first class CEO, sound finances, outstanding CQC rating.

I'm sure there are NHS trusts that a severe winter will put into special measures... but they'll be those who are already circling the drain anyway. If it wasn't winter, it would be lawsuits, ill-advised property deals, inability to retain staff, whatever, that tipped them over the edge.

Fiona: my idea of Canadian winter is when you go out one morning, and instead of the usual grizzly going through your garbage... it's a polar bear. If that's an illusion, please don't shatter it for me!

With the news of what has happened at St Georges, I think any trust could end up in strife. My trust has an outstanding CQC rating, but we're still always stretched for beds and it's got worse with longer trolley waits in A&E over recent weeks.