Christmas is rapidly approaching and over the coming days Blackpool Teaching Hospitals is aiming to help as many patients as possible to get safely home in time for Christmas or sooner.
The Trust is calling on families and friends of loved ones in hospital to help us and play a part in supporting our ‘Home for Christmas’ campaign, and at the same time supporting the regional efforts in creating bed capacity at Blackpool Victoria Hospital to prepare for the threat of the Omicron variant.
The benefits of continuing recovery at home, in a more familiar and relaxed environment, are obvious, but at this time of year we wouldn’t want anyone unnecessarily stuck on a hospital ward if it is possible that they can be home enjoying Christmas Day with family.
There are wider benefits for the community at a time when the hospital is facing extraordinary pressures on patient flow and bed capacities. The NHS is also taking measures to ensure that they have capacity to deal with an anticipated response to the omicron Covid variant.
Why It Is Important To Be Home For Christmas…
- Once you are medically stable, you recover much better and faster at home, especially if you have the right support around you.
- The faster you get back to your own bed the better. Hospitals have lots of interruptions and noises and long-term sleep deprivation can slow down your recovery.
- You are less at risk of infection at home. This is important because when you have been sick you have reduced resistance to bacteria and infections.
- Being in familiar surroundings with support from loved ones is one of the best things for your mental health.
Speaking about the Home For Christmas campaign, Natalie Hudson, Chief Operating Officer at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals said: “We are working extremely closely with colleagues across the wider health and social care system to ensure we work effectively together to mitigate any potential delays to discharges and the aim of being ‘Home for Christmas’ for our patients.
“The importance of ensuring people are discharged as soon as they are medically able to leave hospital has taken on even greater significance after the NHS declared an escalation to level 4 due to the threat of the new Omicron variant.
“We cannot stand still on this, not for a minute, there has been a request nationally to create sufficient bed capacity in acute and non-acute beds to respond to the anticipated significant hospitalisation due to Omicron. By taking these steps now we aim to increase patient flow and bed capacity to respond to both emergency admissions and elective activity.”
Blackpool Teaching Hospitals recognise that discharge to a home setting is not always the most appropriate pathway. The Trust’s Transfer of Care Hub is working closely with those families who may require further support, be that at home, or in residential care. You can find out more about the Transfer of Care Hub here.