HEALTHCARE & HOSPITAL FACILITIES
THE BIG A&E TESTER
The NHS is going through a tough time this winter as people flock to emergency rooms in their droves. Liam Mynes from Tork manufacturer Essity, looks at ways to help patients stay safe in an overcrowded A&E department.
The NHS is currently going through its most testing period since the Second World War. These were the words of health secretary Sajid Javid following November’s announcement that 4,519 patients had died as a result of hospital overcrowding and long waits in emergency rooms.
More than 7,000 A&E stays of 12 hours or more were logged in the UK in October 2021 - the highest number on record. And this figure was 40% above the previous high, recorded the month before.
There are a number of reasons why A&E departments are currently so overwhelmed.
More people tend to be ill in winter, so this is always a testing time of year. The fact that Covid sufferers need to be treated in separate areas to those of non-Covid patients has resulted in logistical issues, with wards having to be segregated.
And as the pandemic lingers on more people are falling ill – and this includes healthcare workers. So, staff shortages and absences are adding to the difficulties being faced by emergency care departments.
In order to address the problem, steps are being taken to limit the number of people coming into A&E, with patients increasingly being urged to phone 111 instead of heading straight for the emergency room. If the call operator is unable to provide an adequate level of help and still considers an A&E visit to be necessary, he or she will then book the patient a bespoke ‘slot’ to minimise their wait and aid social distancing.
But anyone who is genuinely ill or injured should not be discouraged from seeking face-to-face medical treatment
36 | TOMORROW’S FM
– and this means a high percentage of A&E trips will remain vital.
In the midst of a global pandemic there are multiple risks involved with a long wait in A&E. Emergency rooms tend to be chaotic places where people are in pain, upset, impatient or angry. Instead of sitting patiently while waiting to be seen they are likely to be pacing the floor, stretching their legs, seeking updates from staff and using the vending machines to buy snacks and drinks. As a result, they will be coming into frequent contact with fellow patients and staff while also touching multiple surfaces.
Where A&E patients are obliged to wait up to 12 hours for treatment, they are also highly likely to visit the washroom. And the use of the toilets should be encouraged, since this is where people can go to cleanse their potentially-contaminated hands.
Care must therefore be taken to make the washrooms as safe and infection-free as possible. All hospital toilets should be well-ventilated spaces offering easy access for patients and visitors, either via a push-open door or a partition. Door handles should be avoided since these could quickly become cross-contaminated with germs.
Automatic taps and flush systems will further limit the cross-contamination risk, and all dispensers should be designed to ensure that each visitor only touches the sheet of paper they use.
Supplies of toilet tissue, soap and hand towels are likely to dwindle fast in A&E washrooms – particularly where patients are suffering from stomach bugs or using paper to staunch their wounds. Hospital managers therefore
twitter.com/TomorrowsFM
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52
