Extra beds freed up to ease NHS winter pressures

Extra community hospital beds will be available in Lincolnshire this winter to help ease demand on NHS hospitals

Extra community hospital beds will be available in Lincolnshire this winter to help ease demand on NHS hospitals, health bosses have said.

Lincolnshire's Integrated Care Board (ICB), which runs some of the county's smaller hospitals, is buying more "active recovery beds" for people who are fit to be discharged.

The board is commissioning 70 beds, up from 60 last year, to cope with demand.

Rebecca Neno, the ICB's winter director, said the beds were so "people can step down from hospital as soon as they're ready".

Ambulances can be left waiting in front of hospitals while beds are freed up for patients

"Winter does occur every year, this is not anything different, but it does put pressure on the NHS," Ms Neno said, with an increase in "respiratory illnesses" and "people falling and tripping".

As well as extra beds, the ICB is adding more specialist breathing treatment hubs, including in Louth and Sutton on Sea.

It said acute respiratory hubs would provide more advanced care for those with asthma, COPD and other breathing conditions.

Rebecca Neno says winter brings extra pressure to the NHS

Andy Camm, clinical lead for Lincolnshire and District Medical Services, which is offering the service, said: "We know that when winter comes and the temperature drops people are more likely to become unwell - particularly people who have asthma and COPD.

"If you are struggling to get a GP appointment, there is an appointment at the acute respiratory hub that we could offer to see you on the same day," he said.

Mr Camm said people who did not receive prompt treatment often ended up in hospital.

He said the scheme would help to reduce the number of hospital admissions and reduce pressure on urgent care centres and A&E departments.

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