Capacity across NHS Tayside could be stretched as winter flu season and coronavirus clash, a doctor has warned.
Dr Elaine Henry, who is a member of the health board’s shielding co-ordination team, was speaking at the Angus Health and Social Care Integration Joint Board (IJB) meeting about winter planning in the county.
Staff were praised for rolling out flu jabs in care homes across Angus, a programme expected to be completed this week, but Dr Henry did not shy away from the challenges which lie ahead.
She said: “The winter plan this year has been incredibly challenging as we’ve had to write the winter plan and the Covid plan in tandem.
“I think it is almost difficult to finish the winter plan because it’s evolving. It’s impossible to finish a draft. This is at the forefront of the whole of NHS Tayside’s thoughts.
“I think it will be an incredibly challenging winter. What we are seeing though is teams pulling together.
“There will be times that we will have great challenges in capacity and in different areas, but it’s how we work to meet that. I think it will need constant initiative and agility.
“You can see staff, everybody is getting their flu jab, everybody is trying to keep going but I think it’s going to be a winter like no other.”
Dr Henry noted reasons to be optimistic, saying the health board is progressing well in many areas.
She added: “Things like near-patient testing, flu testing, vaccine rates, I really think we’re going to see Tayside be at the cutting edge of a lot of these things with a team working really hard to do it but it’s going to be a constant challenge.”
Also discussed at the IJB meeting was local mental health provision, as a seven-day support service is on the horizon.
It is due to launch in the north of Angus early next year and be rolled out to the south of the county within the next two years.
Seven-day working in the community will be supported by a 24/7 multi-disciplinary crisis assessment service currently based at Dundee’s Carseview.
Hugh Robertson, a board member with NHS Tayside, sought assurances the plan will go ahead in January, having initially been slated for January 2020.
Brian Troup, who presented the report to the IJB, admitted the delays have been a “major frustration”.
“The one factor that has delayed that has been the workforce. The nurses being released from Carseview took longer than anticipated.”
He added: “I understand the nursing rotas are already in place.
“With regards to south Angus, it isn’t just a financial resource. We need to learn from the north. We don’t know what the uptake is going to be.
“We need to take our time to make sure we get this right.”
Kenny Thom, assistant area manager for mental health charity Penumbra, welcomed the development.
He said: “We know that accessing the right support at the right time is crucial for people’s mental health and wellbeing.
“With the added challenge of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on people’s lives, it will be important to recognise the significant long term role the third sector can play in delivering these lifeline mental health services.”
