GPs are being asked to work in hospitals to help cope with a staffing crisis some health professionals have 'never come across before'. A leaked email to medics reveals those who are not already too exhausted from their existing duties are being asked to help healthcare colleagues on hospital wards.
The communication states care systems in Nottingham are under "extremely challenging" pressures. The local NHS system is on its highest alert level, OPEL 4, and secondary care and East Midlands Ambulance Service staff are in "extremely taxing positions," reports NottinghamshireLive.
Now GPs are being asked to provide back-up for healthcare colleagues "through this difficult time" by working on hospital wards. Family doctors would be paid to work at either Nottingham University Hospitals or Sherwood Forest Hospitals, but one medic has argued they are already under enough pressure without the extra responsibilities.
The doctor claims they have been asked to man extra clinics in primary care, but they are now being requested to aid the discharge of patients from wards. So-called bed-blocking - where patients take up beds whilst awaiting to be discharged - is a major problem across the country.
The backlog has been attributed to a "collapse of social care", too few residential care and nursing staff as well as "government mismanagement", according to the doctor. "I've never come across this situation before. A few years back there was some collaboration but that was not in a crisis, that was to improve the system," added the medic.
While Covid hospital admissions are still below previous peaks, they are still rising. Problems have been blamed on hospital staff taking leave over Easter, having been unable to do so over the course of each wave of the pandemic, as well as staff illness due to rising Covid cases and prevalent seasonal viruses.
A doctor working in the region, who asked to remain anonymous, told Nottinghamshire Live: "It is directly asking GPs to come on the wards. I cannot ever remember a crisis email like this to GPs. There are some GPs who work out of hours but this seems like a cry for help. They seem to be in a big crisis and we are struggling already. We do not have the manpower to help them.
"They should have planned this situation better. Two years ago we did work bank holidays over Easter and we felt we needed to help out because we did not know what was happening [with Covid]. But now we are working flat-out in the community and now it seems they are really struggling."
The Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) reported in the last week of March, 44 per cent of patients had to wait more than four hours to be seen at A&E, treated and then admitted or discharged. This compares to just 19 per cent in the same week in 2019, before the pandemic.
Responding to the concerns associate director of primary care commissioning in Nottinghamshire, Joe Lunn, said: "NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire CCG is doing all we can to help ease the pressures on NHS services this Easter. Like all NHS systems across the country, the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire NHS system is busy and we have arranged for extra GP appointments to be made available over the bank holiday weekend, which will be bookable via 111 online.
"We know all colleagues across the system are feeling the strain and we are grateful to everyone who is working this weekend, particularly any of our GPs who come forward to help out in hospitals this weekend as well as supporting with the out of hours services. We know it is difficult and we are doing all we can to help and support our staff through these challenging times."
The Department for Health and Social Care was contacted for comment.
- Anyone requiring medical advice during the Easter bank holiday weekend can call the 111 service where trained advisors will be able to book an appointment with a healthcare professional or GP if it is needed.
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