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North West of England will receive ₤29.5 million across four Trusts to reduce overcrowding and improve infection control ahead of winter

THE North West will receive ₤29.5 million to expand and upgrade A&Es at four Trusts, ensuring they have the physical space to treat patients, manage patient flow and improve infection control, the Health Secretary Matt Hancock recently announced.

This is in addition to the ₤300 million announced recently for 117 Trusts to upgrade their facilities, meaning the Government has now invested ₤450 million to upgrade A&Es this winter.

The funding will expand waiting areas and increase the number of treatment cubicles, helping boost A&E capacity by providing additional space and reducing overcrowding. Projects will be completed by the start of next year so hospitals benefit from the upgrades during the peak of winter.

Alongside this, a new offer to patients is being piloted in Trusts across England, with NHS:- 111 being the first point of contact for accessing urgent medical care.

To ensure patients get the right care in the right place and avoid unnecessary visits to Emergency Departments, NHS:- 111 will build on its role during the pandemic to direct patients to the most clinically appropriate service, including Emergency Departments, an Urgent Treatment Centre, a GP or mental health professional.

Based on what works best during the pilots, this approach will be rolled out to all Trusts from December this year.

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said:- "We are investing ₤450 million to make sure our A&E departments are ready for winter. Hospitals around the country will be able to expand and upgrade to ensure they can continue safely treating patients in the coming months. During the peak of the pandemic we saw millions of people using NHS:- 111 to get the best possible advice on Covid 19, and other urgent NHS services. These pilots will build on this and test whether we can deliver quicker access to the right care, provide a better service for the public and ensure our dedicated NHS staff aren't overwhelmed. We all need to play our part by washing our hands regularly, using a face covering and keeping our distance from those not in our household. We are determined to protect the NHS as we did during the peak."

NHS:- 111 will also book appointments for patients with the appropriate service to cut out unnecessary queuing and ensure they get the right care 1st time. This will be safer and more convenient for patients as it will reduce the amount of time spent in waiting rooms.

Those facing a life threatening emergency should continue to dial:- 999 immediately. If someone is unsure how serious a condition is then NHS:- 111 can offer advice and if necessary, dispatch an ambulance.

To support this expansion the NHS is investing ₤24 million to increase:- 111 call handling capacity and will have more clinicians on hand to provide expert advice and guidance.

Each year there are 14.4 million A&E attendances in England that arrive without referral by:- 111, a GP or in an ambulance, as well as 2.1 million attendances that don't result in any admission or treatment. Reducing this unnecessary use of Emergency Departments will ease the pressure on the NHS this winter and reduce transmission of Covid19.

Dr Cliff Mann, NHS national clinical director for urgent and emergency care, said:- "While emergency admissions are now back to near normal levels and:- 999 calls are actually above usual, covid infection control means rethinking how safely to look after people who might previously have been to an emergency department for a more minor condition. Local teams are working hard to expand and adapt services to ensure people can continue to get the care they need safely, whether that's in hospital or closer to home. This additional investment will help us continue the development of NHS:- 111 and provide a broader range of services, with direct booking that will ensure all patients can see the right clinicians in the right setting, and address the extra challenges posed by Covid-19 so that emergency departments can safely treat those patients who do require their services."

Dr Katherine Henderson, President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, said:- "Expansion of NHS:- 111 will help patients to be seen more quickly by the service most appropriate to their needs. We are pleased to have reached the consultation phase of how A&E performance is measured with a focus on the safe, timely care of the very sickest patients, and look forward to the publication of the proposals. A further boost to capital funding to help redevelop our most challenged Emergency Departments is very welcome and vital to help ensure social distancing and reduce the spread of infection. Crowding must be eliminated from Emergency Departments; now more than ever; and this is a helpful step towards tackling that problem."

The pandemic has shown NHS:- 111 can play a more prominent role in triaging patients to make sure they get the right care, 1st time round.

As winter approaches and we continue to tackle the Covid19 Pandemic, these additional measures will help to reduce overcrowding in A&E, protecting both staff and patients and making the NHS as safe as possible.

If a patient without a life threatening condition in the pilot areas arrives at an A&E department without contacting NHS:- 111, they will continue to be given the assistance they need, but may end up waiting longer than patients with similar health issues who booked an appointment through NHS:- 111.

A public communications campaign:- 'Help Us Help You' will also launch later this year to direct people to the right NHS service.

Alongside this, NHS England has been exploring whether improvements could be made to emergency care performance measures as part of its ongoing clinically led review, which has also considered how to accurately measure performance while the service meets the continuing challenges of Covid19.

Before December 2020 a consultation will be launched on standards to ensure they reflect modern emergency care and deliver what patients need. The existing standards remain in place and; if any updates are subsequently made; this will only be on the basis of strong evidence and after thorough consultation.

Liverpool University Hospitals, who will get funds for their Emergency Village and Regional Emergency Hub Expansion and redesign of assessment (Medical, Frailty, Surgical and Specialist Services), along with help with same day emergency care and waiting capacity.

To see the full list of the 25 Trusts who will be  receiving a share of ₤150 million for A&E upgrades are click here now.

Did you know?  In July 2020, 1.48 million calls were made to NHS:- 111 with the vast majority (91%) of calls answered within 60 seconds. The ₤450 million forms part of an extra ₤1.5 billion capital funding announced by the PM this summer. Also the:- 111 pilots are currently live in Cornwall, Portsmouth and SE Hampshire and Blackpool, and have just begun in Warrington.

New Boost for Liverpool City Region's ₤2.9 billion Community and Social Sector

A new expert advisory panel of leaders from community and socially trading organisations across the Liverpool City Region was launched on Wednesday, 16th September 2020. The Social and Solidarity Economy Reference Panel will advise Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram and Combined Authority policymakers on how to maximise the contribution of the burgeoning social sector as the City Region economy recovers from the effects of Covid19. The sector supports 50,000 jobs locally and generates ₤2.9 billion in income a year for the local economy yet, until now, its contribution to the City Region has often been overshadowed by a focus on the commercial sector. Boosting the community and social sector has been identified as a key part of the City Region's economic recovery plan and the Panel will provide a vital voice for the sector moving forward. The establishment of the Panel follows last month's commitment of ₤6.5 million of Combined Authority funding to establish Kindred, a social investment vehicle that aims to support the growth of the social economy in the Liverpool City Region. The sector has also seen nearly ₤2 million distributed to community organisations since the start of the Coronavirus pandemic, through the LCR Cares Fund.

Launching the Panel, Steve Rotheram, Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said:- "Our Region's social and solidarity economy has long been an underappreciated success story in our Region, employing 50,000 people and generating nearly ₤3bn in economic and social value every year. Unfortunately, this success has too often been overlooked because of a focus on the commercial sector. Since I was elected, I've been working to rebalance this, with a greater emphasis placed on organisations that are at the heart of their communities. I do not want our 3rd sector to feel overlooked or ignored. It is the reason I have been working closely with them to support our communities through the past few months and to help draw up my plans for our Region's recovery in the post pandemic world. I'm launching this panel to ensure that the social and solidarity economy will always have a strong voice and input that should help see the sector flourish and grow in the years ahead."
 

The Social and Solidarity Economy Reference Panel Members are:- Name  Borough Interests Kate Groucutt St Helens Deputy Portfolio Holder and Chair Saba Ahmed Liverpool Multicultural community Brian Dawe Sefton Community business / Housing Claire Donovan Liverpool Social Enterprise  / Anti Poverty Tom Douglas Liverpool/Sefton Sports and Health Keelan Early Wirral CVS Infrastructure Maxine Ennis Liverpool Charity / social enterprise Helen Heap All Social Investment  / Kindred Debra Hill St Helens Community Business / employment Racheal Jones Knowsley CVS Infrastructure Paul Khan Liverpool Arts / Education Sara Lawton All Pro Social Business Mike Morris All Community Arts Ben Osu All Anti racism Garrick Praygogg Wirral Multicultural Community Lisa Smalley Wirral Employment and skills Alan Southern Sefton Academic Jane Young Knowsley Education / disability TBC Halton   TBC   Coop / Mutual

Councillor Kate Groucutt, Deputy Portfolio Holder for Inclusive Economy and Third Sector at the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, said:- "Our community organisations and social businesses are on the frontline across the City Region, delivering innovative services and providing jobs and opportunities for thousands of people. These organisations are also supporting local priorities and working in partnerships across all 6 of our local authorities. Through this new Panel we will make sure the voice of the sector is heard and that the Metro Mayor and other political leaders understand what more we can do to support its growth in the future."

Saba Ahmed, Community Development Worker for Kuumba Imani Millennium Centre, Liverpool, said:- "Kuumba Imani is pleased to have representation on the Social and Solidarity Economy Reference Panel. It follows on from the work it has been involved in for the last 16 years in terms of encouraging understanding, partnership working and collaboration between individuals in communities and the sectors. This new Panel represents the beginning of a new era in which our sector's voice is heard alongside other sectors of the economy and which will enable us to come together to fully realise the contribution our sector can make to economic recovery for all our communities."

Ben Osu, Strategy Lead at the Anthony Walker Foundation and anti racism campaigner, said:- "At the age of 18, I organised for the MOBO Awards to be held in Liverpool, along with a community outreach programme for young people across the city. The event brought in ₤5m into the local economy. This demonstrates the entrepreneurial power of our sector, to not only benefit our communities through the work we do, but to deliver a tangible economic benefit at the same time. The establishment of the Social and Solidarity Economy Reference Panel marks a major step forward in our voice being heard and in making an even greater contribution to the future of our City Region."

Helen Heap, social investor and the founder and CEO of Seebohm Hill Ltd, a Liverpool based social investment consultancy, said:- "The LCR Social and Solidarity Economy Reference Panel connects the Metro Mayor and Combined Authority to some of the organisations and individuals who play a key part in delivering an inclusive economy for our Region. The Panel provides an opportunity for members of the social economy to shape policy, tackle health and wellbeing inequalities and drive economic growth for all."