‘Almost one in seven hospital beds in Mansfield and Sutton occupied by people fit to leave’

It comes after NHS data revealed almost one in seven beds at Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Trust – which runs Sutton’s King’s Mill, Mansfield Community and Newark hospitals – are currently occupied by patients medically fit to be discharged.

The trust said it has opened 49 more beds this week alone to take the total number of inpatient beds now open across the trust to 773 – the most it has ever opened at any one time.

The move comes as the whole of the Nottinghamshire healthcare system remains under a critical incident, due to the extraordinary pressures in emergency departments and the high numbers of patients waiting to be supported to leave hospital.

NHS data released today has revealed there were 111 patients occupying inpatient beds across the trust’s sites on an average day in December, despite those patients having been medically fit to leave hospital for more than 24 hours.

Phil Bolton, SFH chief nurse, said: “There is huge demand for NHS services across the county right now and our hardworking staff are going to extraordinary lengths every day to be there for the patients they care for.

“We know our hospitals are the perfect place to receive vital medical attention when we really need it, but they simply aren’t the best place for patients to continue their recovery once they have received the attention they need.”

The total number of impatient beds covers the trust’s three hospitals, as well as 19 beds opened by the trust at a former care home to support patients preparing to leave hospital.

The move is one of a host of measures taken by the trust to manage the pressures, which includes treating more patients in its same-day emergency care unit.

The trust has also opened a transfer-of-care hub at King’s Mill, where a number of organisations work together to accelerate patient discharges.

Mr Bolton said: “Making every hospital bed count will be absolutely key for our NHS this winter.

“We all have a part to play in supporting our NHS and one of the most important things we’re asking our communities to do is to work with our staff to help support their loved ones to leave hospital as soon as they have received the care they need.

“We need the public’s help now more than ever, which could be as simple as ensuring that our loved ones are supported to travel home or have food in the fridge as soon as they are ready to leave hospital.”

SFH has issued the following advice on how to help the NHS:

If your relative is due to be discharged from hospital and needs to be collected, please do so as early as possible. This will help hospital teams and free up a bed for someone waiting to be admitted;

Only call 999 or attend A&E departments for serious accidents and genuine emergencies;

When you need urgent medical attention but it’s not an emergency, alternative support is available by visiting NHS111 online or by calling 111;

Pharmacies can also offer over-the-counter advice and treat common illnesses such as colds, sore throats, stings and allergies.