Fortnightly community update from our CEO - 22 February 2021
Posted Monday, February 22, 2021 3:05 PM
22 February 2021 – Update 14
An update to patients, communities and partners of Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS FT
Hello,
The mornings are lighter, the weather is warmer and the snow has gone. Spring is on her way and we have reason to believe things are getting better, slowly. The number of patients with Covid in our three hospitals are half of their peak five weeks ago, but they are still higher than the first peak in April 2020. It does feel calmer but the hospitals and the people who work here are still extremely busy. Critical Care is particularly busy and continues to run at twice its normal capacity.
We are proud of the King’s Mill Hospital vaccination hub, which is part of the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire vaccination programme. We continue to work closely with our community partners and at King’s Mill Hospital we have vaccinated almost 40,000 people, in line with the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation guidance. We are now starting to give people their second vaccination, as well as continuing to bring people in for their first jab, as they become eligible.
I will watch the Prime Minister’s announcement at 1900 tonight about the national plans to ease lockdown. In time, I hope we view the next month or so as the turning point when safe steps were taken to bring back a level of normality to our personal and working lives. Progress with the vaccination programme will support this, whilst we all must continue with appropriate social distancing, hand sanitisation and face masks. This will reduce the rate of Covid in our communities and reduce the number of patients in hospitals.
On 17 March, the Health Service Journal announces its Trust of the Year and Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, your three local hospitals, has made the national shortlist for this important national award for the second successive year. This week I am working with others to finalise our presentation which we will give on 1 March. When I share the next community update in two weeks’ time, I will explain the three reasons why I believe we deserve to win. Whether we do or not, it has been a pleasure to think about some of the remarkable care, projects and improvements we have made over the past year, even during such a difficult time.
Whilst I feel optimistic and hopeful about a number of things, I do recognise how tired people are and how Covid has impacted on all of us. My thoughts are with you as we continue to experience our own personal struggles and I am grateful for the support you are providing your three local hospitals. I hope you are as proud of the people who work here and the care we provide, as I am.
Best wishes for the week ahead.
Richard Mitchell
Chief Executive