As winter has arrived University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust which serves the west of the South Hams has opened new beds to help relieve the pressure on it’s busy Emergency Department.

By creating additional beds, patients will be able to move more easily through the hospital from the Emergency Department, in turn relieving long waits.

Rachel O’ Connor, Director of Integrated Care, Partnerships and Strategy at UHP, said: “As part of our winter plans, we are working very hard to get patients to the right place at the right time.

“More beds and more capacity to support people going home with care support creates additional flow through the hospital, relieving pressure on the Emergency Department.

“In addition, we’re working together across Health and Social Care to create capacity, and to make sure that people are only in hospital when they need to be.”

Additional beds at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust include: Mount Gould Discharge Assessment Unit – 12 beds added to Mount Gould’s 52 bedded unit (in addition to the 15 beds for stroke rehabilitation at Mount Gould Hospital)

A new building with Batham Orthopaedic Ward 24 beds

The Chestnut Urology Investigation Unit sees 500 patients a week.

Virtual Wards for 50 patients

Virtual Ward patient Susan Miller, 75, from Plympton, spent 15 days as an inpatient for her heart condition. But going home with a package of care and virtual ward technology, meant her blood pressure could be monitored at home with regular contact from the Derriford team and oversight from her consultant.

She said: “When you arrive at the hospital everyone is very professional as you would hope, but there is queue of ambulances because the pressure on the emergency system is very high. I know I will be sent to the area that is most appropriate for me,’’