The Hospital Group supports the NHS ‘Help Us Help You’ campaign
The NHS is urging the public to get urgent care when they need it through the launch of a major new drive supported by The Hospital Group.
Fears over the coronavirus have led to some people delaying getting the treatment they need, which could be a long-term risk to their health – a trend that the NHS is keen to reverse.
It’s been found that 4 in 10 people are so concerned about being a burden on the NHS during the COVID-19 pandemic that they won’t seek guidance from their GP.
The numbers of people accessing the NHS for a range of conditions unrelated to coronavirus has dramatically decreased, with fewer adults and children attending A&E departments for urgent medical issues, including strokes and heart attacks, fewer cancer patients attending their treatment appointments, and fewer expectant mothers attending their regular scans.
The NHS ‘Help Us Help You’ campaign urges people to get the care they need when they need it, as delaying treatment due to fears over COVID-19 can lead to more serious consequences now or in the future. People should contact their GP or 111 service if they need medical help, or 999 in emergencies.
Huge efforts have been made to increase capacity in the health service including using independent hospitals.
The Hospital Group, already working with the NHS through a partnership which utilises its state-of-the-art hospitals, experienced staff and advanced facilities to care for cancer and step down patients, is keen to support this campaign.
CEO Tony Veverka said, “Although The Hospital Group is an independent provider, we believe that we have a moral obligation to help the NHS in any way we can. We shouldn’t exist as a completely separate entity – COVID-19 has shown how important it is to work as part of the wider healthcare community.
“Potentially we will be able to start offering elective treatments again relatively soon, but our support of the NHS will continue indefinitely. People shouldn’t delay when there is a medical emergency. There is ample capacity in both the NHS and in the wider healthcare sector to ensure that every patient who needs urgent medical care has access to it. By helping to spread the Help Us Help You message, we can play a part in preventing people from needlessly risking their lives.”
You can read more about the Help Us Help You campaign at https://www.england.nhs.uk/2020/04/help-us-help-you-nhs-urges-public-to-get-care-when-they-need-it/