Patients and their relatives are being asked to support hospital staff in Hull, Scunthorpe and Grimsby with three “Perfect Week” initiatives.
NHS Humber Health Partnership, like hospitals throughout the country, has faced significant pressure on services over winter, with patients waiting too long in its Emergency Departments or on wards waiting to go home.
Now, “Perfect Weeks” are being introduced at Hull Royal Infirmary from 23 February, Scunthorpe General Hospital from 2 March and Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital in Grimsby from 9 March so patients get the best possible experience.
Matt Powls, Group Chief Delivery Officer, said the targeted initiatives will see health care teams, including out-of-hospital services in local communities, working together more closely to deliver safe and effective care.
He said: “The main aim of these seven-day initiatives is to get our sickest patients onto wards to begin their treatment and back home as soon as they’re well enough.
“We’re focusing on lots of internal processes, such as ensuring every patient has an estimated date of discharge from the moment our clinicians decide they need to be admitted to hospital and making sure our specialists assess patients arriving in our Emergency Departments as quickly as possible.
“However, we’ll also be working closely with community partners, including councils, community health services and the voluntary sector, to get people well enough to be discharged out of hospital more quickly.
“Patients and their families can also help us by ensuring they have everything in place to go home at the earliest opportunity – like transport home, outdoor clothes and footwear and support for those first couple of days at home if your loved one doesn’t require social care.
“By preparing for hospital discharge early, we can make sure there are no delays once our clinical experts say a patient is well enough to leave hospital.”
Members of the public can also support the “Perfect Week” initiatives by only turning up at the Emergency Departments in Hull, Scunthorpe and Grimsby for serious or life-threatening problems.
Mr Powls said: “We will always be here for people who need us so anyone experiencing a health emergency should not hesitate to come to us.
“However, patients with genuine emergencies can wait longer when too many people with non-life threatening illnesses or injuries come to A&E when they could use alternatives like Urgent Treatment Centres, wait for a GP appointment or visit their local pharmacy.
“That stretches our staff to the limit, affecting waiting times for everyone. And if you come to us when you’re not a medical emergency, you’re likely to be told to go elsewhere.
“Most people know if they are a genuine medical emergency. So, before you call an ambulance or turn up at our A&E departments, please consider alternative services wherever possible. And remember, you can always call NHS111 or visit nhs111 online if you’re not sure of the best place to go for help.”