Main updates
Latest performance statistics
NHS Performs brings together a range of information on how NHS Fife is performing, including:
- A&E activity
- delayed discharges
- outpatient waiting times
- staff numbers
- cancer waiting times
- outpatient waiting times
Christmas and New Year resilience planning
In keeping with previous years, we expect that there will be significant pressure on our services over the Christmas and New Year period, with historical data modelling suggesting that the beginning of January will see the height of our challenges.
To help us mitigate the impact of winter pressures throughout our hospitals we have introduced a number of changes and improvements. These include:
- moving our Flow and Navigation Hub, which directly links NHS24 into our services, into the Victoria Hospital to give consultants more control and oversight over pathways and patient care.
- extending the hours of service of our Rapid Triage Unit, which provides short and focussed assessments of patients upon arrival in A&E and decides whether they need medical admission or onward referral.
- introducing seven-day rehab; weekend physiotherapy services to support people who are ready for discharge.
- opening extra beds in both our acute and community hospitals.
- continuing to utilise Queen Margaret Hospital for elective surgeries.
- working towards the introduction of a homeless liaison officer in our A&E to work alongside Fife Council to help find accommodation or places for people to go upon discharge from hospital.
Whilst our teams will be working hard to ensure patients get the best possible standard of care, there are actions that constituents can take to help us out. For those who think they may need to visit A&E - but it's not life threatening – they should phone NHS 24 on 111. Call handlers can arrange an appointment with an appropriate service close to their home and often without a lengthy wait.
More information about getting the right care in the right place
Ambulance queues at A&E
There has been recent local media coverage of ambulances queuing outside A&E at the Victoria Hospital.
Whilst most patients arriving by ambulance are quickly transferred, during periods of particularly high demand they may wait outside A&E within an ambulance alongside trained paramedic staff ahead of transfer.
During such times, our clinical teams have access to a live dashboard where they can access real-time information including the number of ambulances waiting, the number of ambulances en-route to A&E, and the types of illness or injuries that the patients within them may have. Our A&E teams are also continually liaising with any ambulance drivers waiting outside.
As part of ongoing work to improve the experiences of patients coming into our A&E, we plan to visit NHS Tayside to look more closely at its model of receiving patients, where A&E is often bypassed where appropriate, and patients are taken directly to other services, wards, or clinical areas for their care.
Latest Scottish Ambulance Service unscheduled care operational statistics
Winter Covid and flu update
Across Fife, more than 200,000 covid and flu vaccines have been delivered this winter following the decision to bring forward the programme to help protect the most vulnerable.
As a final push to encourage vaccination uptake by the end of 2023, an additional 5,000 appointments have now been offered to people aged 65-74 who are yet to be vaccinated, as well as 10,000 extra appointments for those considered at greater risk aged 12-64. Care home vaccination was completed earlier this month, whilst vaccination of those who are housebound will be completed this week.
Drop-in vaccination clinics have also been taking place across Fife, including weekend flu clinics for those under the age of 18.
Groups eligible for covid and flu vaccination
Festive GP and pharmacy closures
With many pharmacies and GP practices closed over the festive holidays, we have been encouraging people to check that they are up to date on their prescription orders.
Constituents can look up the public holiday opening times for their local pharmacy.
Online development prospectus partnership
We've launched a new online prospectus offering learning and development opportunities for nurses, midwifes, and allied health professionals. The prospectus is the result of a partnership between our practice and professional development team and Glasgow-based web developers, Factory73.
Queen’s nurse status awarded to two Fife nurses
Two of our nurses are among a group of 24 community nurses and midwives to have been awarded the prestigious title of Queen’s Nurse. Leanne Patrick, gender-based violence nurse specialist, and Kerys Russell, upper GI cancer advanced clinical nurse specialist, have been selected to take part in a nine-month development programme run by the Queen’s Nursing Institute Scotland (QNIS).
Nurses are selected for their clinical expertise and compassionate care and the programme requires them to choose an issue for development which will have a significant impact on those they care for.
Winter ready webpages
With temperatures dropping and viruses like flu circulating more, we have updated the winter readiness pages our website. The pages are designed to give people information and advice to help them stay well and, should they require healthcare services, get the right care in the right place.
Podiatry advice line launched
Constituents with concerns about their feet can now call our podiatry advice. The line is staffed by highly skilled podiatrists and is open on Tuesday afternoons and Thursday mornings.
Carer’s food and health toolkit launched
Our nutrition and dietetics team have launched a 'one stop shop' for food and health guidance to support carers and adults with a learning disability. The pages contain a range of resources such as menu planners, recipes, snack suggestions, physical activity ideas.
Statistical information
NHS Performs
As referenced at the top of this document, NHS Performs brings together a range of information on how NHS Fife is performing, including A&E performance, cancelled operations, delayed discharges and diagnostic waiting times.
Workforce information
NHS Education for Scotland publishes a quarterly update on workforce related information, including the number of staff directly employed by NHS Fife and the number of vacant posts for nursing and midwifery staff, allied health professions, and medical and dental consultants.
The interactive dashboard also outlines trends over time and references other useful information such as sickness absence rates, staff age profile, and spend on agency and bank.
Read the latest publication published in June
All Information correct at time of publishing. Issued by the corporate communications service.