EMAS staff help Kings Mill hospital on black alert

Twelve members of Patient Transport Service (PTS) gave up a their nights off to transport patients from the hospital to their homes or wards at Newark Hospital.

This help came after Sherwood Hospitals NHS Trust issued a ‘black alert’ on the Sutton Hospital on Sunday, February 5, due to mounting pressures and high attendances in A&E.

Roz Howie, chief operating officer at Sherwood Forest Hospitals Trust, said: “On behalf of the Trust I would like to thank East Midlands Ambulance Service for their assistance on Sunday. It was a particularly busy weekend for us and the help of their staff to transfer patients was gratefully received.

“We are all feeling the pressure during the winter months, but working together as a whole team makes a real difference to both the trust and our patients. The professionalism and caring attitudes of their staff was exemplary. Thank you to everyone involved.”

EMAS’ Patient Transport Services, which normally provides non-emergency transport for patients in Derbyshire to and from their healthcare appointments, received a request for help from the hospital.

Sherwood Forest Hospitals have reported seeing an average of 35 extra people attending A&E a day and an additional 10 to 20 ambulances a day.

Rachel Poulton-Hartley, PTS patient flow co-ordinator at EMAS said that she was very proud of her colleagues for coming in to help on their evening off.

She said: “I’m really proud that we managed to get five double crews together and help them with discharges from A&E or taking patients to Newark.

“I received a call at 6pm to say they were having trouble getting crews in so I rang my colleagues and they were willing to help.

“Patients are always our priority and by helping transport patients to another hospital or to their home with their family, we are also helping patients who are arriving at A&E to get the best care.”