Jan Sobieraj

By Jan Sobieraj JanSobieraj

The leaves are falling off of the trees and the nights are starting to draw in – which means winter is on its way and predictions are growing that we are going to experience a bad flu season this year.

For the majority of people flu is unpleasant, but not life-threatening. However, it can be very serious for some groups who are at risk of developing complications, including those with weakened immune systems, pregnant women, young children and people with underlying health conditions such as liver, lung or renal disease, heart problems, asthma or diabetes.

Every year, the flu vaccination is available to all NHS staff, to ensure they are offered protection as they are more likely to be exposed to the virus and I will certainly be getting mine as I do every year. Typically around 70% of our staff get one and this year I hope we will have even more.

Members of the public can also contact their GP to find out how to get the vaccine. This is free if you are aged over 65 years, are pregnant, have a long term medical condition or are a carer. Young children may also be eligible for a free flu vaccination through their GP or school.

Nationally, the NHS has been closely examining the experiences in Australia and New Zealand – who are just coming out of their winter and have had a heavy flu season. Australia has reported more than double the rate of confirmed cases compared to this time last year, with twice as many people hospitalised – so please don’t delay.

Every winter we see a lot of patients being admitted with complications caused by flu and colder weather conditions. Understandably, this can be very worrying for patients and their families, but it also means many of our beds are taken up with poorly people who could have remained well if they had been vaccinated or taken steps to avoid illness. If hospital wards are full then it can cause a backlog in A&E and even cancelled operations.

It is always important to look after our health and here are a couple of simple steps you can take to help you and your family stay well this winter.

At the first sign of a winter illness, even if it’s just a bad cough or cold and you’re worried, get advice from your pharmacist, before it gets more serious. This is often the best and quickest way to help you recover and get back to normal. If you can’t go yourself, the advice is to ask someone to go for you or have a chat with the pharmacist over the phone.

We know a lot of visits to our A&Es and urgent care services are simply to get repeat medications, so please save yourself the stress and wait by making sure you keep topped up with any repeat prescriptions.

You can also ask your pharmacist what medicines should be in your cabinet to help get you and your family through the winter season.

If you do become unwell and need medical help fast but it’s not a 999 emergency, call NHS 111 for clinical advice, assessment and for direction to the most appropriate services for treatment. This might not necessarily mean a trip to A&E, but they will find the best way to get you back on your feet.

For less urgent health needs, contact your GP or local pharmacist. You can also access NHS advice at www.nhs.uk.

Jan Sobieraj is the new Chief Executive of United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust.

By Jan Sobieraj JanSobieraj

Emergency care is one of our top priorities at United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust and we are working hard to look at ways to relieve the pressure in our A&E departments.

Our A&Es are a bit like a barometer helping us to gauge how the rest of the trust and the wider health service are running. If the hospital is busy and under pressure then this will be visible in the emergency department.

If the wards are full then there will be a delay in getting those who need admitting through A&E, potentially causing a bit of a backlog and longer waiting times for patients waiting to be seen.

You may have seen recent stories in the media about the tough time we have been having in our emergency departments and potentially longer waits in Lincoln and Pilgrim.

Over the years the demand on these departments has continued to increase. In 2013, 66,139 people visited Lincoln A&E and this rose to 72,071 in 2016, an increase of almost 9% or an average of 16 extra patients every single day of the year.

Pilgrim Hospital saw 49,030 patients in 2013 and 57,665 in 2016, an increase of 17.6% or an average of 23 additional people each day.

The national target set by the Department of Health is that 95% of patients should spend four hours or less in A&E from arrival to transfer, admission or discharge.

I would like to reassure you we are doing everything we can locally to try and manage our waiting times. Staffing remains a key focus for us and like many trusts across the country attracting permanent members of staff has proved to be a real challenge. Last month we were really pleased to welcome a new A&E consultant to the team at Lincoln.

Two middle grade doctors have also joined the team following our last advert, but they will need some time on the junior rota while they find their feet and then they will be able to participate on the middle grade rota.

This is all good news and we are also hoping to build on these permanent appointments in the coming months.

I know many of us are still enjoying the last few weeks of summer, but we are already planning for winter which traditionally sees an increase in demand on our services.

Our staff work incredibly hard to see people as soon and as efficiently as possible, but we are asking everyone to be mindful of where they go for treatment – a long wait in A&E may not be the best place for you.

It’s always worth stocking up your medicine cupboard at home and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society say the following list will help you deal with most minor ailments: pain relief, antihistamines, oral rehydration salts, anti-diarrhoea tablets, indigestion treatment, sunscreen and a first aid kit.

If you need further advice many illnesses can be treated by visiting your local pharmacy, calling 111, visiting your local GP, or GP out of hours service or attending a walk in centre.

You should only visit A&E with serious or life threatening illnesses, such as heart attacks, strokes, breathing problems, or serious accidents. Those who attend with minor conditions will still be treated, but potentially will have longer waits at busy times.

More information on non-emergency healthcare services is available at www.nhs.uk

Jan Sobieraj is the new Chief Executive of United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust.