NEARLY 3,000 hospital beds will be available across Essex as the NHS prepares for winter pressures which could lead to longer A&E waits and delays handing patients over from ambulances.
NHS Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB) says 2,961 acute beds will be available, comprising 2,724 core beds and 237 additional escalation beds.
Of the core capacity, 1,652 beds are within Mid and South Essex Hospital Trust, with 625 at Colchester Hospital and 447 at Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow.
The additional 237 escalation beds will provide extra capacity when services come under greater pressure.
Princess Alexandra Hospital will account for 113 of these beds, while Colchester Hospital will have 73 and Mid and South Essex Hospitals Foundation Trust 51.
A further 426 community and admission-avoidance places will be available to help keep patients out of acute hospitals where appropriate and support people leaving hospital.
These include intermediate care beds, virtual wards, hospital-at-home services, community assessment and treatment services and urgent community response teams.
The ICB said: “Our work over the winter period is ensuring that this capacity is utilised to best effect to support the delivery of safe and effective care to residents.”
Health services are preparing for pressures including seasonal illnesses, staff absences, infection outbreaks and severe weather, which can all affect capacity.
Pressure can also mount when patients who are medically ready to leave hospital are unable to be discharged while they wait for assessments, medication, equipment, transport or support at home.
When hospitals become crowded, the knock-on effect can include delays admitting patients from A&E and longer waits for ambulance crews to hand patients over.
The winter planning also covers mental health services, with the NHS reporting overall capacity of 430 adult mental health inpatient beds.
However, figures provided by NHS Essex list 197 adult beds and 143 older adult beds, totalling 340.
The ICB has been asked to clarify the apparent 90-bed difference, as well as whether the 237 escalation beds represent additional capacity compared with last winter.
Its wider winter plan is aimed at reducing pressure on hospitals through measures including vaccination, earlier intervention and tackling unnecessary delays in discharging patients.
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