By Anna Whittaker, Local Democracy Reporter
Nottingham University Hospitals managed to protect bed spaces for planned operations despite immense pressure during strike action, senior managers say.
As part of its winter plan, the organisation said it would ringfence around 120 beds at Nottingham City Hospital to make sure planned operations go ahead.
The plan meant was designed to also ensure the Queen’s Medical Centre could focus on emergency care.
The whole Nottinghamshire NHS system was under ‘critical incident’ status from January 3 to January 11 when it was stood down.
And from January 3 to 9, Doctors with the BMA (British Medical Association) walked out in the longest strike in NHS history, costing the trust almost £2m.
Operations in the winter months are typically more prone to cancellations to make way for emergency care.
But the plan meant patients who have been waiting for operations such as hip replacements, knee replacements and some cancer operations would go ahead. The beds will remain ‘protected’ until next spring.
At a trust board meeting on January 11, Chief Executive Anthony May confirmed the bed spaces had been reserved even during pressure throughout the strikes by junior doctors.
The idea has been trialled in other areas across the country but has never been done in Nottingham before.
Mr May told the hospital trust board: “Our services have been particularly busy and stretched particularly during the six day industrial action.
“We have seen very high occupancy levels in the hospital and in recent weeks we have been under a great deal of pressure on ambulance handover times.
“We hope that all sides will come together and reach an agreement on the industrial action.
“Despite all of this we have managed to protect our elective bed base.
“I would like to pay tribute to Keith [Girling, Medical Director] for the support he has given me in the last few weeks.”
Mark Chivers, non-executive director, said: “Well done on managing to hold on to the elective beds.
“I know that’s not what other trusts have chosen to do. How have we done that?”
Mr May said: “It is difficult for me to speak for other trusts, what I can say is the winter plan this board approved at its last meeting has held up.
“All the planning we have done to prepare for winter, including assumptions for industrial action, has helped us ensure that we can protect elective beds.
“It is a sea change for this organisation, and whilst it puts strain on the urgent and emergency care, every part of the hospital has pulled together.
“Everyone recognises there is hidden harm if we can’t meet our elective targets.”
Nick Carver, Chair, said: “Phenomenal efforts have been made to maintain standards of patient safety.
“I appreciate it is inevitably exhausting and distracting and a cost to people spending time covering strikes and planning for strikes.
“It is profoundly unhelpful that we are still in this position because we could be driving on to provide more care to those we’re here to serve.
“We hope those involved get to a resolution as soon as possible.”
