Dorset could have more hospital beds if families help out
Could you help get your loved ones home for Christmas?
Dorset residents with family or friends in hospital have been urged to help get them home for Christmas – if they are ready for discharge.
The plea was made at Dorset Council’s full council meeting on Tuesday evening.
Deputy council leader Peter Wharf said the message came from the county’s director of public health, Sam Crowe, as being one of the best ways of helping ease pressure on the local NHS in the face of rising Covid infections.
Cllr Wharf said by offering to help relatives and friends coming out of hospital with shopping, medication, even changing dressings if need be, the mounting pressure on beds could be eased.
Reading a statement from Mr Crowe, he told councillors:
“Alongside local clinicians, we are appealing to relatives and friends who can play a key part in helping family members and friends who are medically fit to be able to leave hospital in the run up to Christmas. People tend to be more comfortable and recover more quickly at home.
“If relatives can help their loved ones on a regular basis, they are being asked to please speak to the team planning their care as it may mean that they go home from hospital a few days earlier.
“The kind of help that people may need from relatives and friends includes support with shopping, administering medication, changing dressings, meal preparation, checking on their welfare and wellbeing by having regular contact with them particularly following discharge from hospital.
“Any help and support you can give to support people to get home and allow those who are in need of critical care to receive this will be hugely appreciated.”
In the same message the director asked people to continue to wear masks, take regular lateral flow tests, observe social distancing, ensure adequate ventilation when indoors and continue to get vaccinations.
He also asked for those with the ability to give vaccinations to step forward, along with volunteers who could help the programme in other ways.
Both Dorset council areas continue to have Covid levels above both the regional and national average levels with 87 people across Dorset in hospitals with Covid.
Councillors heard that work is continuing to also find more venue for vaccination centres to add to the two currently operating in Dorchester and Bournemouth.
“Please be patient while we get everything in place – this is a monumental effort as the NHS continues to deliver the largest vaccination programme in its history,” said the statement.
“We’re working extremely hard to increase availability so please be patient. Please keep trying as appointments are being added all the time. If a local venue isn’t showing on the system, it may be full – please check again later as appointments are being added all the time.”
Those with vaccination experience who would like to help the local campaign are asked to get in touch via – https://joinourdorset.nhs.uk/vaccinators/