WEDNESDAY, 6 DECEMBER, 2023

For immediate release. Accompanying video from Dr William Anderson can be found at https://youtu.be/-KgHoeXYEJQ

Team Tayside is stepping up for winter – are you ready?

NHS Tayside teams are stepping up to meet the challenges of winter and the public can also play their part to support health and care services by making sure they are prepared for the season ahead.

Everyone knows winter is a busy time for health and social care services, and this year is no different as Tayside’s doctors, nurses and other teams face the usual increase in winter illnesses and injuries.

NHS Tayside has very detailed winter plans in place to deal with these pressures, which have been developed by clinical teams alongside Angus, Dundee and Perth & Kinross Health and Social Care Partnerships and the Scottish Ambulance Service.

Respiratory consultant Dr William Anderson, who is the clinical director for winter, said, “Our winter planning involves our hospital and community services, primary care and the Scottish Ambulance Service, which all work together to make sure we are as best prepared as we can be to manage the winter demands.

“We use data from all these services to create what we call a weekly ‘heat map’ and this helps us predict how busy our services will be and gives them a warning of any anticipated increase in activity so that they can respond to challenges and keep services running.

“Our main areas of focus this winter are preventing illness and reducing hospital admissions, reducing the amount of time people spend in hospital, providing care closer to home, and managing emergency and urgent care. And you can help up to do this by making sure that you are also prepared for winter.

“A key part of our plans is our winter vaccination programme for health and social care staff, as well as members of the public who are most at risk of viral illness. Getting as many people vaccinated as early as possible helps to prevent the spread of flu and COVID in our hospitals, healthcare facilities and local communities, and it also helps ensure we have enough staff to manage services during busy periods. So if anyone is eligible and hasn’t yet had for their winter vaccines, please book an appointment or come to one of our drop-in sessions in our community vaccination centres.

“You can also get ready for winter by making sure you have a well-stocked medicine cabinet so that you can look after yourself at home if you catch a winter illness such as flu, COVID or norovirus. Please order any repeat prescriptions that you need in plenty of time before the festive period, and remember, GP surgeries will be closed from 23 to 26 December and from 30 December to 2 January, so make sure you know how to get the right care in the right place over the holidays.”

You can find lots of useful information on NHS Tayside’s dedicated website www.keepwellinwinter.scot.nhs.uk which is a one-stop-shop to help you stay safe and healthy this winter. You can also get the most up-to-date information by following @NHSTayside on Facebook, X and Instagram.

NHS Inform and the NHS 24 mobile app can also give you advice on your symptoms, tips on self-care and what to do if your condition worsens.

Contact:

Louise Wilson

NHS Tayside Communications

(01382) 740718