The £2million battle plan to help Sunderland cope with winter health demands

This year, Sunderland’s Clinical Commissioning (CCG) group has committed £2.14million towards winter schemes, with an extra £300,000 for the season.

The funding covers the period 2019/20 alongside £365,791 from community health partnership, All Together Better.

Large chunks of funding will be channelled into an ‘integrated winter team’, increased bed numbers, staffing and Pallion’s Urgent Treatment Centre.

Using lessons learned from previous winters, the plans also aim to manage demand on the emergency department and community services.

“We need to make sure we have the best approach possible to get the best use out of the resources we have,”chief officer of Sunderland CCG, David Gallagher, said.

The comments came during a recent meeting of Sunderland’s Health and Wellbeing Board which unites health partners across the city, including the council.

A presentation to the meeting said organisations should recognise this winter will be “difficult.”

It added: “By working together we will get through it focusing on safe quality services.”

Sunderland’s winter service, launched in November, also allows the CCG to “test ideas of reform”.

Schemes this winter include 10 extra beds at Alexandra View Care Centre, changes to ways of working in the emergency department and daily 9am ‘surge group’ meetings.

The new ‘urgent treatment centre model’, which launched earlier this month, is also expected to play a crucial role – with extra GP appointments available through the NHS 111 service.

This winter service will be evaluated to help shape services over the next 12-18 months alongside flexible funding within the budget to allow CCG bosses to react to changes in demand.

Meanwhile, NHS campaigns will also be launched to help reduce pressures on A and E.

CCG boss Mr Gallagher, added: “It’s important to communicate this with the public who if you’re not careful, will still turn up at A and E.

“If they don’t know about the rest of the system that’s where they will go. There’s a regional campaign starting and we will share this.

“We’re getting this message out across the system so hopefully it makes people think about the right place to go.”

People with an urgent health need that can’t wait, but unsure whether to go to A and E should visit 111.nhs.uk or call 111 (available 24/7).

To ensure patients who really need emergency care receive the quickest possible treatment, members of the public should only dial 999 or attend emergency care for serious emergencies.