Source:- GB News
Health leaders have said that the National Health Service is under "extraordinary pressure" because amber cold health alerts have been sent out all over NHS England . This has raised fears that there will be a new wave of hospital admissions in the first few weeks of the new year. Recent data shows that some winter illnesses are starting to level off, but officials warn that colder weather could quickly change this trend and put even more stress on services that are already stretched thin.
The number of people with the flu who are in the hospital has started to level
off, according to numbers released on Wednesday. During the week ending
December 21, an average of 3,061 flu patients were treated in hospitals each
day. This is a small drop from the previous week, when 3,140 patients were
treated. The number of people admitted to critical care also went down
slightly. There were an average of 117 flu patients in intensive care beds,
down from 128 the week before. Also, the number of people who had to go to the hospital
because of diarrhea, vomiting, and norovirus-like symptoms fell from 427 to an
average of 285 beds per day.
NHS England said that even though things have gotten better, the health service
is still under a lot of stress. Hospitals are running with about 95% of their
beds full, which is generally thought to be unsafe and makes it hard to respond
to sudden increases in demand. Health officials warned that the expected drop
in temperatures could lead to more people being admitted to the hospital for
cold-related illnesses, respiratory infections, and problems among vulnerable
groups.
The UK Health Security Agency has put out amber cold health alerts for all of
England. These will be in effect from Wednesday evening until Tuesday morning.
Before, only the north-east and north-west of England were under amber alerts.
The rest of the country was still at a lower yellow level. Amber alerts show
that the weather is likely to have a big effect on health and social care
services. For example, older people and people with existing health problems
are at a higher risk of death.
Dr. Paul Coleman, a health protection consultant at the UK Health Security
Agency, said that the next few days are going to be very cold. He said that
being outside in the cold for a long time can greatly raise the risk of heart
attacks, strokes, chest infections, and other serious health problems. He told
people to check on elderly family members, neighbors, and people with long-term
illnesses to make sure they are warm, safe, and getting help during the cold
spell.
Senior NHS England leaders agreed with these worries. Professor Meghana Pandit, the
medical director of NHS England, said that the system is still under a lot of
stress, even though there are signs that things are getting better. She said
that while things have gotten a little better, hospitals are still not safe,
especially since the weather is expected to get colder in the next few days.
Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary, praised NHS staff on the front lines for
their hard work in tough situations, but he also said that the service is still
at risk. He said that flu is still a big problem and that hospitals are not yet
through the worst of the winter demand.
The problem of delayed discharges is making things even harder. Rory Deighton,
the NHS Confederation's director of acute and community care, said that
thousands of patients who are medically fit to leave the hospital are still in
beds because community and social care services don't have enough space. This
backlog makes it harder for hospitals to take in new patients and makes
emergency rooms even more crowded.
Many health leaders say that the situation is fragile because of high bed
occupancy, seasonal illnesses, cold weather, and limits on social care. Recent
data gives us some cautious hope, but NHS England officials stress that the next few
weeks will be very important.
Public health experts still want people to get the flu shot, take smart steps
to stay safe in cold weather, and help people who are vulnerable in their
communities. As England enters a colder part of winter, the NHS England stays on high
alert, ready for more problems while working to keep patients safe and care
going.
Also Read :- World Care Magazine For more information