System Pressures - Guidance for Care Homes and Community Care

A message from NHS, Bristol North Somerset and South Gloucestershire ICB

The health and care system across our area is currently in a critical condition. 

Ambulance emergency response times are severely compromised. This is due to delayed ambulance handovers, caused by high numbers of individuals already in hospital, and high volumes of people attending our emergency departments.

All parts of the health system are working closely together to help tackle the situation and are taking measures to help get people out of our hospitals (including community rehabilitation units) and into other care settings.

The measures include postponing some non-urgent appointments and procedures to prioritise treatment for those most acutely unwell in community settings, GP practices and hospitals. People will be notified directly if they are affected by the changes.

We are writing to ask you to take extraordinary actions to support the health and care system at this difficult time:

Exhaust all available options before deciding to convey a resident to hospital. Your residents are likely to get poorer care if they were to be conveyed to hospital, compared to staying in their own bed.

Facilitate the discharge of one extra person per care home from hospital until Christmas. This will help relieve pressure on our hospitals and free up beds for people most in need of acute hospital care.

As usual, primary care support is available and community support is available from Sirona care & health. See here for Sirona care & health services available to support your residents.

Thank you for your continued support during this difficult time.