Pledge to relieve pressure on A&E services across Worcestershire

Care chiefs say patients should be reassured that plans are in place to reduce the burden on frontline services – including using new technology to cut down on unnecessary admissions.

The pledge comes just days after newly released national figures show an increase in those attending A&E.

But Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust says it wants to ensure care and treatment is received “in the most appropriate place”.

“It is hoped this will lead to a reduction in avoidable hospital admissions and the length of time people who are admitted to hospital need to stay there,” said a spokesman for the trust.

“Part of this approach is to develop alternative services in the community, allowing people to remain at home, or close to home, perhaps with the aid of new technology and receive an equivalent or better experience to what they would have had in a hospital.”

This new technology could include an automatic medication dispensing device, which reminds users when it is time to take medication.

Another example could help those with dementia and features contact sets fitted to doors, alerting carers via a pager which doors have been opened by a patient.

The trust’s comments come days after new figures published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre show that 18.3 million patients attended A&E units in England in the 12 months up to January – a rise of 1.03 million since the previous year.

However, the trust said its Urgent Care Programme – set up in response to levels of demand at the Worcestershire Royal, Alexandra and Kidderminster hospitals – and Well Connected programme are designed to meet the needs of local people.

“The programmes take a system-wide view of the needs of local people and have the commitment of all our organisations, which makes us confident that we can improve patient care and reduce strain on the parts of the system we know are at full capacity,” said Bernie Gregory, medical lead for Well Connected.