Play your part in easing NHS pressures this winter, urges Anna Turley, Member of Parliament for Redcar and Cleveland.

Building on the recent visit to Ormesby with Health Secretary Wes Streeting, Anna Turley, Member of Parliament for Redcar and Cleveland, met with NHS England to hear about the plans the NHS is putting in place to cope with what is expected to be an incredibly busy winter. 

Hardworking NHS staff have already been working tirelessly to deliver for patients. The most recent statistics show A&Es across the country had their busiest summer on record, with NHS staff managing 6.8 million attendances in just three months. 

To help manage the pressures on public services, NHS staff have introduced new innovations to support patients closer to home, without needing to go to hospital. In a world leading initiative, over 12,000 new virtual ward beds have been introduced across England, allowing patients to be treated by clinicians for conditions like frailty, heart disease, and some respiratory illnesses in the comfort of their own home. This is what Anna brought the Health Secretary to see at Daisy Lane Community Health Centre. 

In addition, all hospitals with major A&Es are now delivering same day emergency care services, meaning over 2.5 million patients a year are able to return home with a plan in place, rather than spending the night in hospital - better for them and also helping to free up beds for our sickest patients. 

The NHS has also introduced front door assessments for patients to ensure they are signposted to the right place for their needs when they arrive at our local A&E. 

But the NHS can only do so much, it is vital we all play our part to reduce pressures on our local health service. Vaccinations are the second most effective public health intervention after clean water, so I was excited to hear from NHS leaders about the launch of the first ever vaccine programme for RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) for pregnant women and older adults. This could prevent around 5,000 hospital admissions for infants and 2,500 for older adults, helping patients stay well at the same time as reducing pressure on A&Es. 

The NHS expects to have offered over 1 million RSV vaccines by the end of November. If you are eligible, your GP will contact you, asking you to book an appointment - please make sure you take up this offer. 

This new programme is part of the NHS' winter vaccine offer, alongside the COVID and flu vaccine. Those who are eligible for a flu and COVID jab can book via the NHS website, the NHS App, or by calling 119 for free. You can find out if you are eligible by going to the NHS website or calling 119. 

Anna Turley, Member of Parliament for Redcar and Cleveland said: 

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I know people will be concerned about how their local services will cope over the coming months. NHS England are in no doubt about the challenges and they are introducing a number of welcome initiatives to address pressures, including the landmark RSV vaccine programme. 

"People should still call 999 in a medical emergency - when someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk - but if you need urgent medical help, you can call 111, use 111 online or use the app to get assessed and directed to the right place for you."