X-ray car being tested this winter to ease pressure on local hospitals

A mobile X ray unit will be on the road from early December as health leaders look for new ways to ease winter strain.
The vehicle, which carries an X ray machine and a radiographer, will be sent to older people who have suffered a fall, aiming to prevent hospital trips when they are not needed.

The initiative forms part of the Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Integrated Care Board’s winter plan, which was outlined to members at their meeting on Thursday 20 November.

Why the new approach is being tried

Health services across the county have been preparing for the winter period for months due to expectations of higher demand.
Recent weeks have already been described as incredibly pressured, with both the Royal Stoke University Hospital and County Hospital in Stafford opening extra capacity earlier than planned.

At a recent Staffordshire County Council Health and Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting, Hayley Allison, portfolio director for delivery and improvement at the Integrated Care Board, explained why the new vehicle is being trialled.

She said, “Fallers are a real challenge for us as a system, if a patient falls and they are elderly and there is a query around whether there is a fracture, they will be conveyed to hospital.”

She added, “It is not necessarily always the right thing for that patient. So we are going to be testing an X ray machine in a car with a radiographer. That was something Portsmouth did and it was really successful, so we are testing it.”

The equipment has been partially funded through charitable donations to the University Hospitals of North Midlands, and will be used from Monday 1 December.
The hope is that even a small number of avoided hospital trips will ease pressure across the system and give frail patients quicker reassurance at home.

A difficult start to the winter season

Board papers presented last week show attendances across urgent and emergency care have risen sharply, with October activity up 8.92 percent compared with the same month last year. The system also recorded its highest ever number of attendances across the University Hospitals of North Midlands footprint in recent weeks.

Respiratory viruses, including Flu A, Flu B and Covid 19, are circulating earlier than last winter. National data indicates the county’s pattern is similar to many areas across England, although several weeks ahead of the 2024 seasonal curve.
Alongside this, short term sickness has affected staffing levels, with lower than expected uptake of bank shifts adding further pressure. Workforce teams are monitoring the situation, using mutual aid, enhanced bank rates and agency support where required.

Recruitment events are underway this month to strengthen teams through the colder months.

Other steps being taken

The mobile X ray car is just one of the measures in place.
Additional beds have been opened at the Royal Stoke, with extra surge beds now in use at County Hospital in Stafford.
Ten more discharge to assess beds are already operating at Haywood Hospital in Burslem, ahead of the original schedule.

Health leaders say the combined efforts are designed to keep patients safe, keep care moving and reduce delays during what is traditionally the busiest period of the year.

The vehicle’s trial will run through the winter, with findings due to be reviewed once the season eases.