THE 'stretched' NHS is already preparing for the huge influx of patients to its A&E services across Merseyside this winter.

The preparations – made almost six months in advance – are intended to reduce long-term patient stays in hospitals, relieving pressure on bed numbers and staff levels.

In the NHS England quarterly report discussed by Wirral council's health and wellbeing board, it said: “We continue to work with local health and care systems across Cheshire and Merseyside to improve access to and the quality of urgent and emergency care services.

"To support and inform local plans for winter, NHS England announced the intention to improve patient care by reducing long stays in hospitals.

"Shorter stays will benefit patients who would otherwise remain in hospital when they are well enough to leave as well as freeing up beds for those who are sicker."

According to the report, discussed at Wallasey Town Hall on Wednesday, many older people, particularly those who are frail and may have dementia, actually deteriorate while in hospital.

It's believed by the NHS that a stay of more than 10 days leads to 10 years’ muscle ageing for people most at risk.

The report added that nearly 350,000 patients spend more than three weeks in a hospital each year – around a fifth of beds, or the equivalent of 36 hospitals.

Some patients need to be there for medical reasons, but many do not, it said.

The NHS, working with local authorities, is aiming to reduce the number of long staying patients by around a quarter, freeing up more than 4,000 beds in time for the winter surge.

It's anticipated this will be a significant feature of urgent care boards’ winter plans, the report concluded.

The document also laid out how a new resource is helping care homes across Merseyside and Cheshire better react to pressure ulcers.

Its new React to Red campaign aims to increase knowledge and awareness of prevention and early intervention for carers, staff and providers for the ulcers, which “are a major cause of harm and distress”.

The NHS England Nursing team has supported more than 200 care homes across Cheshire and Merseyside over the past year, and in Wirral, 38 care homes have attended training sessions and been given training.