PATIENTS with appointments in the next month should come into hospital as planned, Great Western Hospital’s chief executive has stressed.
Speaking after the prime minister announced England would be placed into lockdown from Thursday, Kevin McNamara urged the importance of coming into the hospital as planned.
But he warned that the next four weeks would be “critical” for the Swindon hospital, with the number of coronavirus cases at GWH significantly higher than it was a month ago.
READ MORE: Boris Johnson orders national lockdown for England
READ MORE: What do the new lockdown rules mean for me?
Kevin McNamara Picture: DAVE COX
Mr McNamara echoed comments from Boris Johnson, urging those with hospital appointments to come to hospital.
“The issue from the first wave was that there were members of the public that needed urgent treatment but were perhaps frightened to come to hospital,” he said.
“Anybody who feels they need urgent or emergency treatment should come to the hospital. Anybody who has a planned appointment should come to the hospital.”
The hospital was taking extra precautions around PPE and social distancing.
And while clinicians and managers had made good progress in tackling the backlog of “elective” activity like non-urgent operations, they were still working through waiting lists. Failing to turn up to appointments without giving the hospital notice could make the backlog worse.
If appointments needed to be cancelled, people would be given plenty of notice, Mr McNamara said.
He urged: “If you have an appointment come to hospital.”
The hospital chief said GWH had seen a “significant and material increase” in cases since the end of September.
READ MORE: Live updates as Boris Johnson gives press conference after coronavirus lockdown reports
“Just as an example, at the beginning of October we only had suspected cases in the hospital. Now, today, we’re at 22 confirmed cases and 18 suspected. We’re seeing a big jump just over the course of the past few weeks,” he said.
The number of beds occupied by covid patients at GWH Source: NHS ENGLAND
“It’s clear that we’re in a very precarious position as a country at the moment. It’s mirrored with lots of other countries across Europe.
"We know winter is tough for the NHS. This would be our busiest time of the year. With the backdrop of covid and, potentially flu it does make for worrying weeks and months ahead.”
Mr McNamara said: “The next four weeks is going to be absolutely critical for us.”
The Shalbourne Unit at GWH, which was set up as the "front door" for coronavirus patients in the early part of the pandemic Picture: DAVE COX
Appearing alongside Boris Johnson at Saturday’s Downing Street briefing, chief medical officer Prof Chris Whitty said the filling of inpatient beds was going up “on an exponential curve” and several hospitals already have more people in beds than at the peak earlier in the year.
Sir Patrick Vallance, the government’s chief scientific officer, said it was clear from modelling that in terms of deaths over the winter “there is potential for this to be twice as bad or more compared to the first wave.”
In terms of hospital admissions across England over the next six weeks, they would exceed the number of hospitalisations seen during the peak of the first wave, he added.
Sir Patrick said it was a “very grim picture” of what would happen without further action but “four weeks with a really good reduction of R would make a big difference”.
“We’ve seen a significant and material increase in cases since – really – the end of September into October.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here