Residents urged to choose right health care option / Annog preswylwyr i ddewis yr opsiwn gofal iechyd priodol

Mae Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Hywel Dda yn cynghori’n gryf i breswylwyr sy’n byw yn Sir Gaerfyrddin, Ceredigion a Sir Benfro ddefnyddio gwasanaethau gofal iechyd cymunedol lle bynnag y bo modd oherwydd y pwysau sylweddol sydd ar ein Hadrannau Brys ar hyn o bryd.

Yn ystod cyfnod yr ŵyl yn ddiweddar, rhoddodd y bwrdd iechyd staff meddygol a chymorth ychwanegol ar waith i reoli’r galw cynyddol yn ystod amser prysur hwn o’r flwyddyn; fodd bynnag, rydym hefyd yn annog unrhyw un â chwyn meddygol nad yw’n frys i’n cefnogi trwy ddefnyddio gwasanaethau cymunedol fel eich Fferyllydd Cymunedol neu drwy hunan ofal yn y cartref, gan sicrhau bod y gwasanaeth Meddyg Teulu y Tu Allan i Oriau a’r Uned Frys yn cael eu defnyddio ar gyfer gofal brys yn unig.

Dywedodd Dr Roger Diggle, Dirprwy Gyfarwyddwr Meddygol Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Hywel Dda: “Ar hyn o bryd mae ein hysbytai yn trin nifer fawr o gleifion sy’n sâl iawn ac rydym yn cymryd pob cam posibl i sicrhau eu bod yn cael y gofal sydd ei angen arnynt.

Er mwyn rheoli’r galw cynyddol ar wasanaethau rydym yn ei brofi bob gaeaf, mae gennym gynllun ar waith i sicrhau bod gwasanaethau’n parhau i redeg mor esmwyth â phosib wrth sicrhau bod anghenion y claf yn cael eu diwallu 24 awr y dydd.

Mae meddygfeydd yn yr ardal yn wynebu ceisiadau uwch nag arfer ar gyfer ymweliadau cartref ac apwyntiadau. Gofynnir i gleifion ystyried a ydynt yn gallu cyrraedd y feddygfa, fel eu bod yn cael eu gweld, er mwyn sicrhau bod yr holl gleifion yn cael mynediad at y gofal sydd angen arnynt.

Mae’r Bwrdd Iechyd wedi cydweithio gydag Ymddiriedolaeth GIG Gwasanaethau Ambiwlans Cymru, awdurdodau lleol a’r trydydd sector ar gynllun gaeaf er mwyn paratoi ar gyfer y cyfnod prysur sydd i ddod. Mae’r cynllun hwn ar gael ar wefan y bwrdd iechyd ac mae’n nodi sut mae’r sefydliad yn paratoi i redeg ei wasanaethau yn y modd mwyaf llyfn posibl er mwyn sicrhau bod anghenion cleifion yn cael eu diwallu 24 awr y dydd.

Eleni, mae’r bwrdd iechyd yn cyfeirio pobl tuag at fferyllfeydd cymunedol, a all weld a thrin pobl â mân anhwylderau ac osgoi iddynt orfod mynd at y Meddyg Teulu neu i’r Uned Frys.

Mae’r Gwasanaeth Anhwylderau Cyffredin yn cwmpasu 26 cyflwr y gall fferyllydd, os yn briodol, eu hasesu a rhoi meddyginiaeth ar eu cyfer yn ddi-dâl a hynny heb bresgripsiwn. Mae’r gwasanaeth yn galluogi cleifion i geisio cyngor neu driniaeth gan fferyllfa gymunedol sy’n rhan o’r cynllun, yn hytrach na’u Meddyg Teulu, ar gyfer rhestr ddiffiniedig o anhwylderau.

Mae cleifion yn Sir Gaerfyrddin, Ceredigion a Sir Benfro yn cael eu hannog i ddefnyddio gwasanaeth Brysbennu a Thrin y bwrdd iechyd mewn fferyllfeydd cymunedol sy’n rhan o’r cynllun os oes ganddynt fân anaf neu salwch. Nod hyn oll yw i leihau’r pwysau ar adrannau brys y gaeaf hwn.

Gyda chyfnod y Nadolig ar y gorwel, mae gweithwyr iechyd ar draws Cymru yn annog pawb sy’n gymwys i gael y brechlyn ffliw cyn gynted â phosibl, i’w helpu nhw yn ogystal â’n hysbytai i fod yn ddi-ffliw ar hyd y gaeaf.

Mae arbenigwyr atal heintiau yn atgoffa pobl i beidio ag ymweld â chleifion mewn ysbytai na chartrefi gofal os ydynt wedi body n teimlo’n anhwylus, er mwyn cyfyngu ar ledaeniad cyflyrau megis Norofirws a ffliw.

Am fwy o wybodaeth ar gynlluniau gaeaf y bwrdd iechyd a chyngor ar sut y gallwch helpu, ewch i:

www.bihyweldda.wales.nhs.uk/gofalygaeaf

www.hywelddahb.wales.nhs.uk/dewisdoeth

www.bihyweldda.wales.nhs.uk/TuAllaniOriau

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Hywel Dda University Health Board is strongly advising residents living in Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire to use alternative healthcare services in the community wherever possible due to significant pressures currently being experienced across our Emergency Departments.

During the recent festive period the Health Board put additional medical and support staff in place to manage increased demand at this busy time of the year; however, we are also urging anyone with a non-urgent medical complaint to support us by making full use of alternative community services such as your Community Pharmacist or by self care at home when appropriate, ensuring that the GP Out of Hours service and A&E are used for urgent care only.

Dr Roger Diggle, Deputy Medical Director at Hywel Dda University Health Board said: “Our hospitals are currently seeing high volumes of very unwell patients and we are taking all action possible to ensure that they are provided with the care they need.

“To manage the increased demand on services that we experience every winter we have a plan in place to ensure that services continue to run as smoothly as possible while ensuring that patient’s needs continue to be met 24 hours a day.”

With GP practices in the area facing higher than normal requests for home visits and appointments, patients are also asked to consider whether they can get to the practice to be seen to help ensure that all patients can access the care that they need.

The Health Board has worked with the Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust, local authorities and the third sector to prepare for the busy period ahead with a winter plan. This is available on the health board’s website and sets out how the organisation is preparing to run services as smoothly as possible to ensure patients’ needs continue to be met 24 hours a day.

This year the health board is signposting people towards community pharmacies, which can see and treat people with minor ailments and avoid them having to go to their GP or A&E department.

The Common Ailments Service covers 26 conditions whereby a pharmacist can assess and provide medication at no charge, if suitable, without the need for a prescription.  The service allows patients to seek advice or treatment from a participating community pharmacy, rather than their GP, for a defined list of ailments.

Patients in Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire are also being urged to use the health board’s Triage and Treat service in participating community pharmacies if they have a low-level injury or illness, in a bid to free up pressure on busy A&E departments this winter.

Health professionals across Wales are also urging all those eligible to have their flu vaccine as soon as possible, to help them and our hospitals stay flu-free throughout the winter.

And infection prevention specialists are reminding people not to visit patients in hospitals and care homes if they have been feeling unwell, in order to limit the spread of conditions such as Norovirus and flu.

For more information on the health board’s winter plans and advice on how you can help visit:

www.hywelddahb.wales.nhs.uk/winterwise

www.hywelddahb.wales.nhs.uk/choosewell

www.hywelddahb.wales.nhs.uk/outofhours