Trust News Issue 1

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Patients’ survey gives valuable feedback and helps improve services Page two

Issue 1, May 2012

Good news... and why this Trust’s success benefits local people WELCOME to the first issue of Trust News, which will keep people in Wolverhampton up to date with the latest news and developments at The Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust.

The Trust provides an extensive range of healthcare services at New Cross Hospital, West Park Rehabilitation Hospital, in community health centres and patients’ homes.

We are proud of the services we provide, proud of our staff and proud of the care we deliver.

You will read about dedicated staff working hard to provide care of the highest standard.

There are stories about innovation and investment which mean the services we provide continue to improve.

And we want to reflect how each and every patient who

By

David Loughton CBE Chief Executive The Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust comes to see us is treated as a customer, whose experience and views matter to us all.

There is news of our record-breaking performance on controlling outbreaks of the hospital acquired infection MRSA. We haven’t had a single case at New Cross Hospital for over 1,000 days.

There is also news of a ground-breaking heart procedure, where two lifesaving operations were performed, one immediately after the other, thanks to

some innovative thinking by one of our consultants.

When we do something well it means better service for our patients. When we innovate and invest, it means better facilities or more effective treatments for local people.

And when this Trust does something better than anywhere else in the NHS, it’s a very healthy situation indeed for everyone who needs and uses our services.

Not a single case of MRSA bacteraemia for almost three years – best in the NHS

Trust MRSA-free for 1,000 days zero-tolerance approach to healthcare acquired infections has enabled New Cross Hospital to achieve the outstanding record of 1,000 days without a case of the MRSA blood infection.

The best-practice milestone – a record for a large NHS acute Trust – is the result of a sustained focus on robust hygiene including hand washing and limiting the unnecessary use of medical devices or intravenous lines.

No cases of MRSA bacteraemia, a blood infection, have been recorded at the hospital since June 2009. This is a tribute to the commitment of the Trust Board and the efforts of staff to keep the hospital environment clean and hygienic at all times.

All incoming patients are screened for MRSA, while the Trust’s infection prevention team carries out regular screening of patients in nursing and residential homes across the city.

In the hospital itself, ward areas have been refurbished, staff are required to work

A

clinically with their arms bare below the elbows and junior doctors are trained and tested in infection prevention.

Blood cultures are taken by trained phlebotomists, rather than junior doctors, and a nurse has been employed to look at preventing infection from lines and devices such as catheters, drains and tubes.

Staff are encouraged to challenge anyone they think is not following hand hygiene procedures, and systematic audits are carried out.

Cheryl Etches, Chief Nursing Officer at the Trust, said: “One thousand days without a single case of MRSA bacteraemia is a magnificent achievement and reflects everyone’s efforts to ensure healthcare acquired infections are prevented.

“But we cannot be complacent and we are also focussing on trying to prevent other types of infections such as those related to wounds and medical devices.”

Infection Prevention Nurse Heather Guttridge using hand gel on ward D4 at New Cross Hospital.

Find out more about your local NHS Trust SEE INSIDE

World first in heart surgery PIONEERING surgeons at the Trust, led by Dr Saib Khogali, pictured above, performed two lifesaving heart operations in one session for the first time ever.

To find out how a flash of inspiration led to the exciting world first, turn to page four.

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Trust News, May 2012

Trust News, May 2012

Work experience for 100 young people

£1m robot hailed a major success Hospital given a clean bill of health INSPECTORS from the Care Quality Commission have issued New Cross Hospital with a clean bill of health.

The Government watchdog has given the thumbs-up to action plans drawn up by the hospital in the wake of its investigation, in March last year, into concerns which had been raised across five areas of care: ● care and welfare of older people ● co-operating with other providers ● staffing ● assessing and monitoring the quality of service provision ● complaints The CQC found that the Trust was compliant in staffing, but had one moderate and three minor concerns in the other areas.

To address these concerns the Trust introduced additional staff training, increased monitoring, special assessments of patient nutrition and improved information to help patients make a comment or complaint.

After making a standard follow-up visit to the hospital to monitor progress in January 2012, the inspectors sent a report to the Trust giving New Cross Hospital the all-clear.

Cheryl Etches, Chief Nursing Officer, said: “The Board of the Trust was very pleased to learn from the report that the Care Quality Commission found improvements on its follow-up visit.

“It gives us some assurance that our actions have had a positive impact on patients and their families.

“However, we are not being complacent and have developed a sustainability plan to ensure that these improvements continue.”

A £1 million surgical robot introduced a year ago has been hailed a major success by the surgeons who use it.

More than 50 operations have now been carried out by the Da Vinci robot.

Prostate Cancer Specialist, Peter Cooke, was the first surgeon trained to use the robot and admits the new high-tech surgery has major benefits compared to traditional keyhole procedures.

Mr Cooke said: “Using the robot for operations has surpassed my expectations.

We have stopped doing

Consultants Ms Jane Boddy and Mr Peter Cooke operating the robot.

HE ultimate test of the standards of any hospital is what patients feel about how they are treated during their stay on the wards.

At New Cross Hospital that test is now applied on a regular basis thanks to a comprehensive patient survey that captures valuable feedback on a range of services.

The Patient Experience Tracker initiative was launched at the hospital in April 2011. Initially used on adult inpatient wards, it is now also in the Emergency Assessment Unit and Neonatal department.

The next step will be to roll out the survey to outpatients, day cases and community and children’s services.

Trained volunteers carry out the survey by visiting the wards on a weekly basis, using hand held electronic tablets to record and store replies to 24 questions.

Patients are asked for their opinion

T

on just about every area of their experience of being an inpatient. For instance, they are invited to rate standards of cleanliness in the ward and bathroom, hospital food and the overall attention received in the ward.

Other questions include: Are staff keeping you informed about your condition or treatment? Are you treated with kindness and understanding? Are you being involved as much as you want to be in decisions about your care and treatment? Do you have enough privacy when being examined or treated? Do staff clean their hands with soap and water or gel before treating you? Would you recommend the hospital to your friends?

Data from each department is sent to the Ward Manager, Matron and Directorate Manager every month and key issues arising from the survey are considered by the Trust. For example, In October’s survey a reduced number

Hi-tech trial boosts patient security THE Safe Hands real time locating system is being introduced in wards throughout New Cross Hospital to improve patient safety and staff efficiency.

A badge uses radio frequency and infra-red technology to locate patients and equipment. The system monitors empty beds so the most suitable for each patient can be found as soon as it is available. It also alerts staff to patients at risk, such as those susceptible to falls, or dementia patients leaving the ward unaccompanied.

It has been successfully trialled in the dementia care ward and is now being developed further to roll out to all wards this summer.

The system monitors the care and location of patients and can be viewed on a screen by staff caring for them on the ward. The system also tracks the location of equipment, while staff can use Safe Hands to call for assistance by pressing thier badge to pinpoint exactly where they are.

Clare Nash, Productivity Programmes Manager, said: “Our trial with Safe Hands confirms that the system is effective in improving patient safety by ensuring patients at risk are monitored closely by staff. The Trust expects Safe Hands to reduce time spent searching for equipment and information by 60 per cent, as well as contributing to wider patient safety.”

of people felt they were being involved in their care or treatment and this is currently being addressed.

On a more positive note, between 95 and 97 per cent of patients feel they are treated with kindness and consideration – a trend where the Trust consistently scores highly.

The number of patients who agree to take part in the survey varies from month to month, but generally, most people are happy to co-operate. In July, for instance, as many as 709 inpatients in the hospital provided their input to the survey.

Charlotte Hall, Deputy Chief Nurse for Quality and Safety, said: “The survey is an ongoing process which is still being developed and refined, but already it has proved to be an extremely effective tool in helping us to assess the quality of the medical, nursing and support services we provide and to identify areas where we can do better.”

YOUNG jobless people in Wolverhampton are being offered exciting opportunities to get work experience in health services under a government-backed scheme, supported by the Trust.

Around 100 18-24 year-olds are set to benefit from placements in a range of different departments, both at New Cross Hospital and with healthcare staff working in the community, through the Trust’s participation in the Get Britain Working scheme.

Starting in June and overseen by Jobcentre Plus, the project will run through to the late autumn with participants being taken on in groups of 12.

Young people in the relevant age group who have been unemployed for longer than three months, but less than nine, can apply for a sixweek work experience placement with the Trust via their Jobcentre Plus advisor.

After making an initial approach at Jobcentre Plus, applicants will attend a group introductory session which may include a literacy and numeracy assessment. The next stage is an interview at the Trust, and, if successful, the young person will attend an induction session and receive any specific training required.

The young people will be supervised at all times by a placement ‘buddy’ and will be made aware of Trust policies and procedures including safety regulations.

At the end of the placement, the young people will be reviewed and given a reference for their CV. ● Applications for a work experience placement at the Trust must be made through a Jobcentre Plus advisor.

standard keyhole surgery for prostate cancer patients because it is so good.

“Having used it I would never go back to anything else and we are looking to roll out the use of the robot for other surgical procedures in the future.”

Patients who undergo treatment in this way can expect less scarring, a shorter hospital stay and far less risk of infection. Six surgeons at the hospital are now trained to use the robot. The Trust remains the only facility in the MIdlands to have this technology.

Patients given chance to make comments

Staff Nurse Michelle Redding, right, and Unit Manager Stuart Logan in the newly refurbished resuscitation unit.

£900,000 redevelopment makes A&E experience better for all

Patient Experience Support Worker Ann Plumbe carries out a survey with with the patient tracker tablet.

The Safe Hands patient wristband and, in the background, the screen display which shows patient data.

3

A £900,000 refurbishment programme underway in the A&E Department at New Cross Hospital is set to deliver new levels of clinical excellence while at the same time making the patient experience more comfortable.

A rapid assessment area has been created so that a patient can be transferred directly from an ambulance to triage for assessment and assigned directly for the relevant treatment.

The drugs dispensing area has been extended and enlarged, a point where blood gas levels can be tested has been established and a new drugs preparation area has been set up.

The major injuries department is undergoing a full makeover including the provision of new monitoring equipment, while the relocation and enlargement of the opthalmology department

has enabled the provision of two extra cubicles for minor injuries.

All areas of A&E are being redecorated and upgraded, new stainless steel fixtures and fittings are being installed, and the waiting and reception areas are being fully revamped.

Patient-friendly facilities include cushioned seating, while colour-co-ordinated visual displays on the walls will give patients information about their treatment pathways.

Peter Holland, Project Manager said: “Our aim is to improve the patients’ journeys from the second they arrive right through to when they leave.

“As well as supplying better clinical facilities the refurbishment programme will go towards improving the general hospital environment.”

Ward refurbishment and staff training improves care for dementia patients NEW Cross Hospital has introduced major changes in the care of patients with acute physical illness who also suffer from dementia.

The changes have been made alongside the complete refurbishment of Ward D22 and focus on three key areas: the hospital environment; nutrition and hydration and good communication.

Staff on D22 have been trained to care for dementia patients with underlying conditions, such as broken hips and strokes, while the dementia awareness message has been spread to everyone from hospital porters to medical staff and referring GPs. Since the introduction of this far-reaching

strategy, the number of patient fall incidents has halved.

There has been a major increase in the number of patients discharged to their admission address and a significant rise in the number of patients who gain weight while on the ward.

The result has been a remarkable improvement in the levels of patient, staff and visitor satisfaction.

Elsewhere in the hospital, a dementia outreach team draw up individual care plans for patients who cannot be moved from other wards.

Now the hospital is working with the Royal Colleges of Nursing, Physicians and Psychiatrists to create a National Quality Mark for

the care of elderly patients.

In addition, the development of best practices on D22 have been adopted by other wards in the hospital. These include using a person-centred approach which looks beyond the patient’s immediate illness to them as an individual, and making documentation more concise to avoid duplication and give staff more time to spend at patients’ bedsides.

Karen Bowley, Matron in the Rehabilitation and Ambulatory Care Group, said: “The improvements we have introduced are part of the Trust’s two-year programme for nursing and they have been successfully adopted to support other patient groups.”

Stroke Unit step up to admissions challenge Patients attending New Cross Hospital's A&E department with a suspected stroke now have direct access to a dedicated Stroke Unit, 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week.

Under the system, patients suspected of suffering a stroke are assessed in A&E and transferred directly to the Stoke Unit, giving them rapid access to high quality nursing care and daily therapy. Eligible patients also receive thrombolysis with blood clot-busting drugs to try to immediately reverse the effect of the stroke.

For patients who have suffered a mini-stroke – also known as a transient ischaemic attack – there is a daily clinic, held seven-days-a-week, to help prevent a subsequent full blown stroke.

The facilities at the hospital will form part of the regional stroke services to be assessed from May 2012-January 2013 as part of a stroke review to be carried out under the national NHS framework by NHS Midlands and East cluster of strategic health authorities.

The overall aim of the review will be to ensure there is an efficient and effective stroke service across the whole of the Midlands and East area, ensuring fast access to high-quality acute services.

It will study current systems and outline a set of agreed standards to maximise clinical outcomes and patient experience. This may involve a rationalisation of stroke services in line with other models of service delivery in the country.

The recommendations of the review will be implemented from April 2013.

Staff Nurse Naomi Large looks through some Stroke improvement programmes.

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Trust News, May 2012

Trust News, May 2012

Work experience for 100 young people

£1m robot hailed a major success Hospital given a clean bill of health INSPECTORS from the Care Quality Commission have issued New Cross Hospital with a clean bill of health.

The Government watchdog has given the thumbs-up to action plans drawn up by the hospital in the wake of its investigation, in March last year, into concerns which had been raised across five areas of care: ● care and welfare of older people ● co-operating with other providers ● staffing ● assessing and monitoring the quality of service provision ● complaints The CQC found that the Trust was compliant in staffing, but had one moderate and three minor concerns in the other areas.

To address these concerns the Trust introduced additional staff training, increased monitoring, special assessments of patient nutrition and improved information to help patients make a comment or complaint.

After making a standard follow-up visit to the hospital to monitor progress in January 2012, the inspectors sent a report to the Trust giving New Cross Hospital the all-clear.

Cheryl Etches, Chief Nursing Officer, said: “The Board of the Trust was very pleased to learn from the report that the Care Quality Commission found improvements on its follow-up visit.

“It gives us some assurance that our actions have had a positive impact on patients and their families.

“However, we are not being complacent and have developed a sustainability plan to ensure that these improvements continue.”

A £1 million surgical robot introduced a year ago has been hailed a major success by the surgeons who use it.

More than 50 operations have now been carried out by the Da Vinci robot.

Prostate Cancer Specialist, Peter Cooke, was the first surgeon trained to use the robot and admits the new high-tech surgery has major benefits compared to traditional keyhole procedures.

Mr Cooke said: “Using the robot for operations has surpassed my expectations.

We have stopped doing

Consultants Ms Jane Boddy and Mr Peter Cooke operating the robot.

HE ultimate test of the standards of any hospital is what patients feel about how they are treated during their stay on the wards.

At New Cross Hospital that test is now applied on a regular basis thanks to a comprehensive patient survey that captures valuable feedback on a range of services.

The Patient Experience Tracker initiative was launched at the hospital in April 2011. Initially used on adult inpatient wards, it is now also in the Emergency Assessment Unit and Neonatal department.

The next step will be to roll out the survey to outpatients, day cases and community and children’s services.

Trained volunteers carry out the survey by visiting the wards on a weekly basis, using hand held electronic tablets to record and store replies to 24 questions.

Patients are asked for their opinion

T

on just about every area of their experience of being an inpatient. For instance, they are invited to rate standards of cleanliness in the ward and bathroom, hospital food and the overall attention received in the ward.

Other questions include: Are staff keeping you informed about your condition or treatment? Are you treated with kindness and understanding? Are you being involved as much as you want to be in decisions about your care and treatment? Do you have enough privacy when being examined or treated? Do staff clean their hands with soap and water or gel before treating you? Would you recommend the hospital to your friends?

Data from each department is sent to the Ward Manager, Matron and Directorate Manager every month and key issues arising from the survey are considered by the Trust. For example, In October’s survey a reduced number

Hi-tech trial boosts patient security THE Safe Hands real time locating system is being introduced in wards throughout New Cross Hospital to improve patient safety and staff efficiency.

A badge uses radio frequency and infra-red technology to locate patients and equipment. The system monitors empty beds so the most suitable for each patient can be found as soon as it is available. It also alerts staff to patients at risk, such as those susceptible to falls, or dementia patients leaving the ward unaccompanied.

It has been successfully trialled in the dementia care ward and is now being developed further to roll out to all wards this summer.

The system monitors the care and location of patients and can be viewed on a screen by staff caring for them on the ward. The system also tracks the location of equipment, while staff can use Safe Hands to call for assistance by pressing thier badge to pinpoint exactly where they are.

Clare Nash, Productivity Programmes Manager, said: “Our trial with Safe Hands confirms that the system is effective in improving patient safety by ensuring patients at risk are monitored closely by staff. The Trust expects Safe Hands to reduce time spent searching for equipment and information by 60 per cent, as well as contributing to wider patient safety.”

of people felt they were being involved in their care or treatment and this is currently being addressed.

On a more positive note, between 95 and 97 per cent of patients feel they are treated with kindness and consideration – a trend where the Trust consistently scores highly.

The number of patients who agree to take part in the survey varies from month to month, but generally, most people are happy to co-operate. In July, for instance, as many as 709 inpatients in the hospital provided their input to the survey.

Charlotte Hall, Deputy Chief Nurse for Quality and Safety, said: “The survey is an ongoing process which is still being developed and refined, but already it has proved to be an extremely effective tool in helping us to assess the quality of the medical, nursing and support services we provide and to identify areas where we can do better.”

YOUNG jobless people in Wolverhampton are being offered exciting opportunities to get work experience in health services under a government-backed scheme, supported by the Trust.

Around 100 18-24 year-olds are set to benefit from placements in a range of different departments, both at New Cross Hospital and with healthcare staff working in the community, through the Trust’s participation in the Get Britain Working scheme.

Starting in June and overseen by Jobcentre Plus, the project will run through to the late autumn with participants being taken on in groups of 12.

Young people in the relevant age group who have been unemployed for longer than three months, but less than nine, can apply for a sixweek work experience placement with the Trust via their Jobcentre Plus advisor.

After making an initial approach at Jobcentre Plus, applicants will attend a group introductory session which may include a literacy and numeracy assessment. The next stage is an interview at the Trust, and, if successful, the young person will attend an induction session and receive any specific training required.

The young people will be supervised at all times by a placement ‘buddy’ and will be made aware of Trust policies and procedures including safety regulations.

At the end of the placement, the young people will be reviewed and given a reference for their CV. ● Applications for a work experience placement at the Trust must be made through a Jobcentre Plus advisor.

standard keyhole surgery for prostate cancer patients because it is so good.

“Having used it I would never go back to anything else and we are looking to roll out the use of the robot for other surgical procedures in the future.”

Patients who undergo treatment in this way can expect less scarring, a shorter hospital stay and far less risk of infection. Six surgeons at the hospital are now trained to use the robot. The Trust remains the only facility in the MIdlands to have this technology.

Patients given chance to make comments

Staff Nurse Michelle Redding, right, and Unit Manager Stuart Logan in the newly refurbished resuscitation unit.

£900,000 redevelopment makes A&E experience better for all

Patient Experience Support Worker Ann Plumbe carries out a survey with with the patient tracker tablet.

The Safe Hands patient wristband and, in the background, the screen display which shows patient data.

3

A £900,000 refurbishment programme underway in the A&E Department at New Cross Hospital is set to deliver new levels of clinical excellence while at the same time making the patient experience more comfortable.

A rapid assessment area has been created so that a patient can be transferred directly from an ambulance to triage for assessment and assigned directly for the relevant treatment.

The drugs dispensing area has been extended and enlarged, a point where blood gas levels can be tested has been established and a new drugs preparation area has been set up.

The major injuries department is undergoing a full makeover including the provision of new monitoring equipment, while the relocation and enlargement of the opthalmology department

has enabled the provision of two extra cubicles for minor injuries.

All areas of A&E are being redecorated and upgraded, new stainless steel fixtures and fittings are being installed, and the waiting and reception areas are being fully revamped.

Patient-friendly facilities include cushioned seating, while colour-co-ordinated visual displays on the walls will give patients information about their treatment pathways.

Peter Holland, Project Manager said: “Our aim is to improve the patients’ journeys from the second they arrive right through to when they leave.

“As well as supplying better clinical facilities the refurbishment programme will go towards improving the general hospital environment.”

Ward refurbishment and staff training improves care for dementia patients NEW Cross Hospital has introduced major changes in the care of patients with acute physical illness who also suffer from dementia.

The changes have been made alongside the complete refurbishment of Ward D22 and focus on three key areas: the hospital environment; nutrition and hydration and good communication.

Staff on D22 have been trained to care for dementia patients with underlying conditions, such as broken hips and strokes, while the dementia awareness message has been spread to everyone from hospital porters to medical staff and referring GPs. Since the introduction of this far-reaching

strategy, the number of patient fall incidents has halved.

There has been a major increase in the number of patients discharged to their admission address and a significant rise in the number of patients who gain weight while on the ward.

The result has been a remarkable improvement in the levels of patient, staff and visitor satisfaction.

Elsewhere in the hospital, a dementia outreach team draw up individual care plans for patients who cannot be moved from other wards.

Now the hospital is working with the Royal Colleges of Nursing, Physicians and Psychiatrists to create a National Quality Mark for

the care of elderly patients.

In addition, the development of best practices on D22 have been adopted by other wards in the hospital. These include using a person-centred approach which looks beyond the patient’s immediate illness to them as an individual, and making documentation more concise to avoid duplication and give staff more time to spend at patients’ bedsides.

Karen Bowley, Matron in the Rehabilitation and Ambulatory Care Group, said: “The improvements we have introduced are part of the Trust’s two-year programme for nursing and they have been successfully adopted to support other patient groups.”

Stroke Unit step up to admissions challenge Patients attending New Cross Hospital's A&E department with a suspected stroke now have direct access to a dedicated Stroke Unit, 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week.

Under the system, patients suspected of suffering a stroke are assessed in A&E and transferred directly to the Stoke Unit, giving them rapid access to high quality nursing care and daily therapy. Eligible patients also receive thrombolysis with blood clot-busting drugs to try to immediately reverse the effect of the stroke.

For patients who have suffered a mini-stroke – also known as a transient ischaemic attack – there is a daily clinic, held seven-days-a-week, to help prevent a subsequent full blown stroke.

The facilities at the hospital will form part of the regional stroke services to be assessed from May 2012-January 2013 as part of a stroke review to be carried out under the national NHS framework by NHS Midlands and East cluster of strategic health authorities.

The overall aim of the review will be to ensure there is an efficient and effective stroke service across the whole of the Midlands and East area, ensuring fast access to high-quality acute services.

It will study current systems and outline a set of agreed standards to maximise clinical outcomes and patient experience. This may involve a rationalisation of stroke services in line with other models of service delivery in the country.

The recommendations of the review will be implemented from April 2013.

Staff Nurse Naomi Large looks through some Stroke improvement programmes.

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Trust News, May 2012

Construction work continues on the new £9million pathology laboratory.

New pathology lab to open in early 2013

Dr Saib Khogali in the catheter lab at New Cross Hospital where the world-first double surgical procedure was performed on a heart patient.

World-first for heart surgery ground-breaking heart surgery procedure developed at New Cross Hospital is being hailed around the world as a significant breakthrough.

A dual operation carried out by Dr Saib Khogali, Consultant in General Intervention Cardiology, and his team, implanted an aortic valve in a patient’s heart while at the same time repairing a swelling called an aneurism – both using keyhole techniques.

It is the first time a Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) and an Endovascular Aneurysm Repair (EVAR), gaining access through the same wire inserted in the thigh, have been carried out in one operation.

Patient Henry Beirne, 82, says he is “very impressed” following the operation and is now going through a rehabilitation programme to increase his amount of exercise – despite his

A

previous history of suffering a stroke, kidney failure and undergoing a heart bypass operation.

The breakthrough came about when Dr Khogali was examining Mr Beirne’s CAT scan and angiogram with a view to carrying out an aortic valve replacement. When he realised an aortic aneurism also needed treating – he asked himself why both could not be dealt with simultaneously.

Open heart surgery was not an option for Mr Beirne who was so ill that any changes in his blood pressure would have proved fatal.

“I suppose it was a flash of inspiration,” he said. “I discussed with my team how the cardiac surgeons could insert the valve and leave our instruments in place, standing aside so that the vascular surgeons and the interventional radiologists could move in to repair the aneurism. I would then

step back in to close up the hole.”

The one-and-a-half hour procedure, with the medics gaining access through the arteries in the thigh, has ushered in a new era of treatment for heart patients, many of whom are elderly and would not otherwise be treated separately for the two conditions because of the risk factor.

Since the pioneering initiative, a further two combined TAVI and EVAR operations have been performed at New Cross Hospital with excellent results.

Dr Khogali, who is the clinical lead for TAVI at the hospital, has published a paper about catheterisation and cardiovascular intervention.

An abstract of the paper appeared in the European Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery and Dr Khogali has travelled to Croatia to give a presentation on this topic to international colleagues.

A NEW state-of-the-art pathology centre is taking shape at New Cross Hospital and is on schedule to open in early 2013.

Construction of the three-storey building is costing £9 million and the Trust is making a further considerable investment to ensure the new facility is provided with cutting edge equipment.

The centre will bring together the microbiology, haematology, clinical chemistry, histopathology and cytology departments – currently based in separate buildings around the hospital site.

The ground floor will house a blood science laboratory equipped to test for conditions such as leukaemia and lymphona and test the function of organs including the kidney, liver and heart.

On the first floor will be the microbiology laboratory where samples are tested for bacteria, viruses and fungi, while the second floor will be devoted to cellular pathology, which includes determining whether tumours are malignant or benign.

Pathology services at the hospital handle more than 1.2 million requests for work each year – including blood tests, urine tests and identifying viral and bacterial infections among patients.

Graham Danks, Pathology Services Manager, said: “Moving all pathology services into the new centre, which will be served by a central reception area, will considerably increase the speed at which we can provide test results.

“Having a single purpose-built laboratory will eliminate delays and reduce handling of samples which will reduce waiting time for patients and lead to an overall improvement in the quality of the patient experience.”

Patients benefit from integration of community services HEALTH services in Wolverhampton have been further developed in the twelve months since the integration of acute hospital and community services.

In 2011, around 1,500 staff transferred to The Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust from Wolverhampton City PCT, giving the Trust the opportunity to merge services and combine the skills and expertise from hospital and community staff to provide more seamless care to patients.

By bringing together hospital and community services, the Trust has developed a more integrated approach

to clinical services – providing real benefits for patients. ● Stroke patients are spending less time in hospital following the introduction of a stroke discharge team working across the hospital and community. This has enabled patients to be discharged from hospital earlier, with appropriate support at home. By reducing hospital stays more patients will now benefit from stroke rehabilitation services provided at West Park Hospital. ● A newly formed Wolverhampton Community Cancer Team has been

launched to provide more care in the community closer to patients’ homes.

Oncology care, such as chemotherapy treatment, is to be provided in community health clinics across the city and some services will be provided in patients’ own homes. ● Working with social services, the Trust has developed a project to improve the way in which patients are discharged from hospital. Social workers, hospital staff and community healthcare workers are working together to ensure complete packages of care are in place when a patient returns home.

Maxine Espley, Director of Planning and Contracting, said of the transfer of services: “At the point of integrating acute hospital and community services it was very much business as usual for patients which demonstrated how well the transition has been managed.

“We have since been maximising the opportunity of bringing together hospital-based and community services to further improve patient care.”

Find out more about community services in the next edition of Trust News.

Published by The Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust. Editorial Services, Smith Davis Press. Printed by Precision Colour Printing.