Healthcare Partners Join Forces to Get Set for Easter Surge

Healthcare teams across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly are launching a focused push to help patients move through care services faster ahead of the busy Easter bank holiday.

From 7th to 17th April, health and care partners are joining forces for a two-week effort to improve how patients navigate hospitals, emergency services and community-based care — all in preparation for the seasonal surge in demand.

A System-Wide Effort

At Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust (RCHT), the campaign builds on existing work to deliver safer, more timely care.

Robin Jones, Chief Operating Officer at RCHT, said:
“As an organisation we’ve been working incredibly well. This isn’t about doing anything new, it’s about making best use of all the initiatives we’ve already got – focussing on what we can do to make a safe discharge earlier in the day, making sure we are well planned in our discharges and engaging patients and their visitors in their journey in our hospital.

“We’ve seen relentless commitment from our colleagues to make handovers in our emergency department (ED) quicker and slicker to help get ambulances back out on the roads. And we’ve been working tirelessly to move patients from ED to our wards faster in a safe way. This fortnight builds on this work, it’s taking what we’re already doing to the next level.”

The joint campaign will focus on four main priorities:

• Helping patients navigate urgent and emergency care more easily

• Supporting people to leave hospital promptly when they’re medically ready

• Connecting more patients with community care closer to home

• Ensuring consistent, high-quality care across all services

Robin added:
“We can’t do this on our own, the whole system is playing their part, and I would ask for patients to get involved too. Our patients should know why they are in hospital, what’s happening to them today, what needs to happen to enable them to go home and what the plan is for them to go home. As a patient, or a loved one of a patient, ask those questions, it means you are part of the journey to get you home safely at the earliest opportunity.”

Bringing More Care Closer to Home

Tamsyn Anderson, Chief Operating Officer at Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, said community care will play a major role in keeping patients out of hospital when possible.

“The aim of this focussed fortnight is to learn where there are places we can be more efficient and effective in supporting people to receive their care in the right place.

“For us in the community, that is particularly important with the ways we want to transform our services. It means more people receive their care either at home or within our community services. We have a breadth of services we can offer for people now. That includes oxygen, intravenous antibiotics, nebulisers, therapy, and other treatments you traditionally might have been admitted to an acute hospital for.

“Our frontline teams are working tirelessly to ensure we have the maximum capacity to look after people at home or close to home within our services.”

Collaboration is Key

Chris Reid, Chief Medical Officer at NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board, highlighted the importance of a joined-up approach:
“Collaboration between health and care services is absolutely vital as we prepare for the anticipated increase in demand over the Easter period. By working together, we can ensure that patients experience a seamless journey to the services that best meet their needs, often by using services in their local communities or in their own homes which can reduce avoidable admissions to hospitals, or enable them to return home as soon as they are well enough without delays.

“Our integrated approach enables us to manage the increased pressure more effectively, ensuring that we continue to provide safe, high quality care to everyone who needs it. This initiative is a powerful example of what can be achieved when we all pull together for the benefit of the people we care for.”

Helping the Public Make the Right Choices

Ahead of Easter, NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly is also sharing guidance on [where is best] to go for care – from self-care and pharmacies to GPs, minor injury units, and when to use the emergency department. Choosing the right service will help ensure emergency teams remain free to deal with the most urgent cases.