8 October - Health issues in Bexley
Bexley Council and its NHS partners discussed its Winter plan earlier this
week. Hospitals have been unusually busy during the Summer months so there is
some concern for the months ahead. The NHS people explained their biggest problems to Councillors.
Social care is particularly challenging following the [enforced] staff losses during the Covid pandemic and new people
are not replacing them in sufficient numbers - a national problem. All hospital
staff are paid at least the London Living Wage but retirements are at a very
high rate. Normally about 50 per year but already 120 in 2022.
There are severe problems of “flow” within hospitals and slow discharge is “a
significant element” with its knock-on effect on bed occupancy. “If we run out of
beds there is a severe problem at the front door.” The Emergency Department and
Ambulance Service is hit hard. Patients are held in A&E and ambulances are
unable to discharge new patients and they have to queue in an excess of an hour
and not able to respond to further calls. “Bed capacity is the number one thing.”
Repurposing surgical beds is not an option because of the effect on waiting
lists. “This week we have had up to 95 patients who were fit to be discharged
but with nowhere to go. It is totally unacceptable. The system is under
intolerable pressure and things are deteriorating.”
Councillor Nicola Taylor (Labour, Erith) asked if the energy crisis was
impacting the NHS, people not heating their houses or not running home medical
equipment. The Council Officer said advice was being offered but there wasn’t
much that could be done. From the NHS came the comment that the home situation
was definitely a factor in discharge delays. All hospital discharges are fully
assessed but some risk balancing has to be accepted. “Demand always exceeds
supply and there is no magic bullet.”
Bexley Council’s Health Director said it was currently near impossible to recruit new
social care workers and Councillor Borella reminded us that Bexley had almost the worst population to GP ratio anywhere.
Who would have thought that the long standing policy of reducing bed numbers and
more recently sacking unvaccinated care workers would have caused a medical crisis?