Ambulance Handover Unit launched at James Paget Hospital as busy winter expected
It's in a bid to get ambulances back out onto the roads faster
A new Ambulance Handover Unit has been set up at the James Paget Hospital in Gorleston, in a bid to get patients into treatment sooner and crews back out onto the roads faster.
The unit will be a temporary structure near the normal ambulance drop off point.
It will take in patients from ambulances while they wait for space to become available inside the hospital.
It comes after persistent problems where ambulance crews were stuck caring for patients outside local hospitals, unable to head back out on new emergency calls.
The James Paget is also opening up 11 additional beds at Carlton Court, a shared NHS facility based in Carlton Colville in Suffolk.
Tom Abell, Chief Executive at EEAST said: “The introduction of an Ambulance Handover Unit at James Paget University Hospital will release more vehicles and crews for responding to emergencies.
"It will also help us to meet the challenges of the coming winter months, when we know demand will increase.
“When people call 999 the public expect the ambulance service to attend, units like this will help make sure that we can.”
Jo Segasby, Chief Executive at the James Paget, said: “The amount of patients requiring urgent and emergency care coming into our hospital has increased.
"Our focus as a hospital is to ensure we have inpatient beds available for people who require admission; we are working as a local health and care system to ensure people are able to access the care they need – and can get back home to recover as soon as possible.”
As part of a wider winter plan the Health Connect service in Great Yarmouth and Waveney will support people over 65 who have been discharged, in a bid to prevent them being re-admitted to hospital.