Sherwood Forest Hospitals is advising patients that flu still poses a risk this winter, despite a drop in the number of patients hospitalised with the virus.
During December, the Trust treated 402 flu-positive patients – more than eight times the 47 people it treated in November. There were 50 patients with flu in King’s Mill Hospital on 30 December, but by 15 January, this figure had dropped to 14.
Doctors are warning local residents that the flu season is far from over as the hospital continues to experience pressure from a range of respiratory viruses, including flu, Covid-19, and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV).
Sarah Lee, 56, from Kirkby-in-Ashfield, was recently under the Trust’s care after contracting flu and says she wouldn’t wish the experience on anyone, describing it as ‘terrifying’.
She said: “The delirium made it hard for staff to understand me. This flu was different; it wasn’t just a fever or a cough, and it was scary because I wasn’t in control. The staff who cared for me were amazing, and I’m eternally grateful to them all.”
Dr Simon Roe, Acting Medical Director at Sherwood Forest Hospitals, said: “Flu has been a challenge for us for almost two months now, and the flu season is far from over. While most healthy people can manage flu symptoms at home and feel better within a week, for others, it can potentially be much more serious.
“There are plenty of things that people can do to reduce the risk of infection. This includes staying at home if you’re unwell and avoiding contact with those who are most at risk, practising good hygiene by covering coughs and sneezes, washing your hands and cleaning your surroundings frequently, and getting all the vaccinations you are eligible for.”
A visit to the hospital is not usually needed when suffering from the flu, and there are simple ways to treat the illness at home.
These include getting plenty of rest and sleep, keeping warm, taking ibuprofen or paracetamol to lower a high temperature, and drinking plenty of water to stay hydrated and relieve symptoms. Local pharmacies can also give advice and treatment if needed. You can find your local pharmacy here: https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/pharmacy/find-a-pharmacy.
If you or someone you know experiences sudden chest pain, difficulty breathing, or coughing up large amounts of blood, call 999 or go to your nearest Emergency Department.
To prepare for the expected increase in pressure on services this winter, the Trust put several measures in place, which included:
- Extending the opening hours of the Children’s Assessment Unit to 10am–10pm from November until March, giving children and their parents better access to urgent and emergency care.
- Doubling the number of Respiratory Physicians at weekends to help those with seasonal conditions get faster treatment, often resulting in a shorter hospital stay.
- Introducing weekend MRI scan reporting to help reduce the time patients are waiting for a scan result.
- Increasing capacity for additional weekend operations so that patients could have emergency surgery straight away without the need to wait until Monday.
- Establishing a new Frailty Rapid Access Unit to ensure frail patients are seen quickly.
- Adding a dedicated Discharge Lounge, which opened in April and is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This is a dedicated space for patients waiting to be discharged and allows acutely sick patients quicker access to hospital beds.
Despite these extra measures, pressure on the Trust’s services has remained high. This was reflected when East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EMAS) declared a critical incident for the first time in its history on 6 January.
Pressure on hospitals is expected to continue, with any future spells of colder weather likely to have a further impact on services.
• Nottinghamshire County Council budget update: No deficit now but could grow to £76m by 2027
• Image shared after man hit with glass bottle in unprovoked Nottingham city attack