Changes made at Conquest Hospital to cope with coronavirus patients

Among them is the doubling of critical care beds, relocating chemotherapy services, suspending the homebirth service and closing the Eastbourne Midwifery Unit.

East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, which runs Conquest Hospital, is temporarily modifying a number of services to significantly increase critical care capacity for those patients who are suspected or confirmed as having Covid-19.

The trust says the changes will allow Covid-19 suspected or positive patients to be treated in safe environments away from other patients and where staff can be protected.

At the same time the trust says it is working to provide routine emergency and urgent care in the safest and most effective way that protects the most vulnerable patients.

Adrian Bull, chief executive, said: “It is a worrying time for patients, our local communities and members of staff.

“Life has changed radically for all of us but I want to reassure local people that our plans mean that we are ready to provide health care for the people of East Sussex.

“Across the organisation we have made a significant number of changes as we gear ourselves up to manage the Covid-19 pandemic here in East Sussex.

“The levels of innovation and change we have seen over the last two weeks are astounding. In many areas we have made 12 months’ progress in 12 days. Members of staff are adapting to constant change and challenging many commonly held assumptions. I see colleagues across the organisation working hard to make sure we continue to provide the best care possible for our patients in new and different ways.

“It is important for everyone to help us and play their part in reducing the spread of this virus. Please follow the government’s advice to regularly wash your hands and stay at home. Only go out if essential and when you are out, maintain social distancing.”

Changes made in response to Covid-19 include:

Critical Care Capacity increase: The Trust said it has doubled its normal critical care capacity, and its aim is to ultimately have five times the normal capacity. This involves expanding critical care into theatres and recovery areas.

Relocate Chemotherapy Services: To minimise the risks to its cancer patients, the Trust has temporarily moved chemotherapy and infusion care to East Sussex College in Eastbourne. This change in location means the Trust can safely deliver treatment to cancer patients away from the main hospital.

Created discharge hubs: The Trust’s new seven-day Discharge Hubs are supporting the rapid discharge of patients as soon as it is clinically safe to do so. Working with local partners the Trust has significantly reduced the numbers of medically fit for discharge patients in its hospitals.

Maternity relocation: ESHT has temporarily suspended the homebirth service and Eastbourne Midwifery Unit (EMU) service. All deliveries will be at the Obstetric Unit at Conquest Hospital, Hastings. A key factor in making this decision is that the ambulance service is under considerable pressure, and could not guarantee a timely response to calls in an emergency. This presented an unacceptable risk to mothers and their babies. The obstetric unit at Conquest has a dedicated entrance door so that there is no need for mothers to go through the hospital.

Cancelled non-urgent operations and procedures: The Trust cancelled all non-urgent operations and procedures to free up clinical areas and clinicians to help treat Covid-19 patients. It understands the frustration this will cause many people and their procedure will be rebooked at a later date. The Trust will continue to perform urgent and emergency procedures with some taking place in other facilities away from the main hospitals. Cancer treatment continues with close attention being paid to referral and treatment volumes to make sure that cancer cases continue to be identified, diagnosed and treated in a timely manner.

Increase in telephone outpatients appointments: Some appointments have moved to a telephone conversation with the hope that the Trust will soon be able to offer some video appointments in the future.

Visiting restrictions: To help the Trust keep its patients, staff and visitors safe, stop the spread Covid-19 and keep its hospitals running, the Trust has had to put strict restrictions on visitors.

Speeding up recruitment processes: The recruitment process for new employees is being fast tracked to allow more clinical staff to start working on the wards sooner than would normally be the case. The Trust is also contacting all members of staff with lapsed or current healthcare registration who do not currently work in clinical roles and is offering training so that they can support frontline care.

Staff training: Additional training is being provided to a wide range of clinical staff such as HCAs, staff nurses, matrons, junior doctors of all grades and senior clinicians. For example, intensive Care consultants are providing training for members of clinical staff who might be required to support patients requiring ventilation.

Volunteers: The Trust said it appreciates the significant numbers of people who have offered to volunteer to help them. It said it is important they find suitable roles that are safe and most helpful. A Trust spokesman added: “Please bear with us while we work to make the appropriate arrangements.”