Peterborough City Hospital will cope this winter promise health chiefs after learning lessons

Whatever the weather, Peterborough City Hospital will be able to cope this winter '“ health officials told Peterborough city councillors.
Peterborough City Hospital exteriorsPeterborough City Hospital exteriors
Peterborough City Hospital exteriors

“With winter coming an additional 42 acute beds will be made available by December, and up to 25 extra capacity winter beds if required,” said Neil Doverty, chief operating officer at the trust which runs the hospital.

“We were caught on the hop this March/April by the Beast from the East because we weren’t expecting such a surge in bed requirements so late in the spring. But this winter we’ve looked hard at our internal management and planning to get things ready for the discharge of patients on time, so there are no such failures again.”

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New trust CEO Caroline Walker told the Health Scrutiny Committee: “Last year we simply weren’t working effectively as a partnership – that has now changed.”

Cllr David Over said he knew of people being discharged from the hospital with just a single incontinence pad, before being left on their own for up to six weeks .

Cllr Ansar Ali asked: “How with hardly any extra money will the trust not make the same mistakes made last winter?” Mr Doverty said: “We have received £1.3 million of government money, which is not as much as we would’ve liked, but I can assure councillors in no way will our services suffer.”