A&Es told: prepare for 4 July like it’s New Year’s Eve

An email from NHS England officials to hospital trusts and seen by HSJ asked them, ahead of next weekend, to “ensure that your demand/activity planning reflects a busy weekend, with peaks in activity into the evenings similar to that of new year’s eve”.

New year’s eve is notoriously busy for A&Es, with many people getting injured and ill on nights out.

The instruction has been distributed by regional NHS England chiefs in at least two of the seven NHS regions. It is unclear if it has been sent across all England.

The note seen by HSJ called for the likely surge in demand to be reflected in workforce planning, capacity management and what senior staff are on-site, and to ensure “efforts are maximised from 29 June to reduce bed occupancy ahead of the weekend, should we also see a rise in admitted patients” — meaning bed space should be cleared ahead of the weekend.

A trust chief executive from the North West, who wished to remain anonymous, said their organisation was preparing for a “potential heavier load through ED this weekend”.

“We have seen attendance numbers in general creeping up, as well as the type of injury presented changing to reflect elements of the current lockdown easing, including alcohol related,” they said. “We will have additional staff capacity for the weekend as well as plans with our partners in the local system.”

Last week prime minister Boris Johnson announced an easing of lockdown rules on 4 July, allowing pubs and restaurants in England to reopen outdoor and indoors in a “covid-secure way”.

As the coronavirus outbreak gathered pace in the UK and lockdown restrictions were brought in, NHS emergency departments saw a sharp fall in attendances and admissions — which in turn helped hospitals deal with covid patients — and they remain below normal levels at present.

NHSE was asked this morning if it wanted to comment.