The ongoing recovery and remobilisation of health services across Greater Glasgow and Clyde have been outlined in plans presented today.
Throughout the pandemic, teams across NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) have continued to provide outstanding care for those impacted by COVID-19 while maintaining other key health and care services. As demand on hospital beds from the impact of the pandemic reduces and more restrictions are set to be eased, we will gradually reinstate as many services as possible, as safely as possible.
The Board of NHSGGC discussed the Remobilisation Plan at its meeting today (29 June 2021) and paid tribute to the staff who have worked so hard to provide excellent patient care during a period of unprecedented challenge. The focus will remain on urgent and emergency care needs, with detailed plans for the ongoing recovery of other planned and elective care. The Board also recognised the challenges still faced by services as we continue to treat patients with COVID; recover services impacted by the pandemic; plan for further infection surges and winter pressures; and provide support to our teams, who have worked so hard and now need to recover.
Jane Grant, Chief Executive, NHSGGC, said: “This has been the most challenging time in the history of the NHS, but throughout, our teams have been nothing short of heroic. I want to thank our staff right across public health, primary and secondary care, mental health and community services, including our social care colleagues, who have all worked hard over the last 15 months. As we emerge from the pandemic, we will safely remobilise our services, while planning for what will undoubtedly be a difficult winter period.
“We will build on the incredible work of our teams who continued to prioritise those most in need during the pandemic, and set ambitious, but realistic, targets for the year ahead.
“Our priority will be to recover acute, community and mental health services disrupted by the pandemic and to build on the innovations in care which emerged during the emergency.”
Key priorities identified within the plan include:
- Planned Care: We will step up our elective programme as COVID-19 restrictions allow. We will continue to use virtual patient consultations where appropriate and increase day case procedures. There will be a focus on radiology and endoscopy to reduce waiting times. The number of procedures available will remain substantially less than pre-pandemic levels.
- Unscheduled Care: We will look to increase the use of our Flow Navigation Centre – which assesses patients before they attend Emergency Departments, to ensure the get the right care at the right place. The model works by encouraging patients to always first call their GP, or, to speak to NHS 24 on 111, before they attend an Emergency Department (unless their condition is life-threatening).
- Mental Health: We recognise the additional impact the pandemic has had on the mental health of the population. Increasing investment in digital resources and virtual appointments will support new psychological services. We will build on the success of the Mental Health Assessment Units, established at the beginning of the pandemic, which provide support for those in crisis. We will focus on the waiting list challenges with CAMHS and Psychological Therapies.
- Public Health: Recognising the existing health inequalities exacerbated by the pandemic, we will continue to support the wider health improvement agenda, with a focus on child poverty, mental health, weight management, smoking cessation and drugs and alcohol misuse. We will continue to support the COVID vaccination programme and local testing and contact tracing processes working with national partners.
Other priorities in the plan include social care, primary and community care, improving patient experience, addressing inequalities and building on improvements with digital and e-health innovations which have allowed for more virtual consultations, improving patient care and reducing waiting times. The plan is underpinned by a substantial workforce plan that supports our teams and recognises the impact the pandemic has had over the last 15 months.
Dr Jennifer Armstrong, NHSGGC’s Medical Director, added: “Recovery may take some time, but thanks to our staff the foundations of excellence in care, across our services, remain solid. Existing health inequalities have undoubtedly been exacerbated by the pandemic and all of our efforts will be directed at helping those most in need in all of our communities as we look to remobilise our services.”
More details on NHSGGC’s Remobilisation Plan can be found here: https://www.nhsggc.org.uk/about-us/nhsggc-board/board-meetings-papers-reports/papers/2021/
ENDS