Update for community partners and staff on service developments in Hertfordshire Issue 4: September 2009 Delivering Quality Healthcare for Hertfordshire – what was agreed and what’s been happening This newsletter provides an update on the extensive programme of health service developments in the county. The main elements of the changes agreed following public consultation in 2007 were: between Herts Urgent Care and West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust). The centre has treated over 21,200 people in its first ten months. The PCTs have identified and prepared a business case for two potential sites for a new Local • Acute hospital services would General Hospital (LGH) in Hemel Hempstead. A final decision on the be consolidated at two sites chosen site will be made by the –Watford General and Lister NHS West Hertfordshire Board Hospitals following evaluation of the business cases. Construction of the new • New Local General Hospitals Hemel LGH is expected to start in (LGHs) would be developed in Hemel Hempstead and Welwyn 2011. In the meantime, West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust Garden City is investing nearly £7million at • A network of 8 Urgent Care Hemel Hempstead Hospital in Centres would be opened across bringing together outpatient the county services, diagnostic, urgent care and Progress to date includes: The acute hospital services have been transferred from Hemel Hempstead to Watford with the creation of a new 120-bed Acute Admissions Unit. An urgent care centre which is open 24 hours, 7 days a week has been opened at Hemel Hempstead. The centre is run by Dacorum Urgent Care Partnership (a collaboration intermediate care for patients in the newest part of the hospital. Building work is well advanced on a new planned surgery centre at the Lister Hospital, Stevenage and the go ahead has been given for a new maternity unit, including a colocated birth centre, at the hospital. A site masterplan for a new health campus and Local General Hospital on the QEII site in Welwyn Garden City is underway. The development is being planned in partnership with East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust, the Isabel Hospice and the Mental Health Foundation Trust. Read on for more details about these and other developments. West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust review of acute service centralisation A review has been undertaken by the West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust on the move of acute hospital services from Hemel Hempstead to Watford. Findings of the review which assessed the first 100 days of operation are very encouraging. 200 patients were contacted following their discharge from the new 120-bed Acute Admissions Unit. Patients said they were pleased with the service they received highlighting the fact they are quickly seen and assessed by a consultant who can call upon a wide range of specialist advice to ensure appropriate care. The report noted that the move of all acute services went smoothly with only a small number of patients needing to be transferred to the new unit at Watford from Hemel Hempstead Hospital. The 100 day review can be read online at: http://www.westhertshospitals.nhs.uk/about/bo ard_meetings/2009/jul/papers/aau/100_day_re view_mj.pdf The Urgent Care Centre at Hemel Hospital Watford General’s new AAU Independent review NHS West Hertfordshire has commissioned the Cardea Group to undertake an independent review of recent changes to health services in west Herts. The review will look at the new Urgent Care Centre at Hemel Hempstead and the centralisation of acute services at Watford. There will be expert clinical input and Cardea will also talk to local groups and other members of the public. We expect that outcomes will be provided in a report that will be presented to the NHS West Hertfordshire board at its meeting in November. Hemel Urgent Care Centre reaches many thousands The new walk-in urgent care centre service is treating patients who have an injury or condition which is severe but not immediately critical or life threatening. The service includes diagnostics and provides treatment for wound stitching, sprains and minor fractures. It has been operating for nearly year, initially alongside the A&E service but standalone since March. More than 21,200 patients have been seen from October to July this year. The average waiting time to be seen is under 30 minutes. Mount Vernon Cancer Centre review The review of cancer centre service provision, chaired by NHS Hertfordshire (the Primary Care Trusts), has confirmed that the Cancer Centre should remain at Mount Vernon for the long term. A new partner institution for academic research has been identified. The review is now testing out the feasibility of developing a satellite service in north Herts / south Beds area. The review, which includes a cancer users group, will report on the feasibility study later in the year. New Urgent Care Centres for Cheshunt and Hertford A collaboration between the East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust and Assura Lea Valley LLP, has been successful in its bid to run two new urgent care centres (UCCs). The development of these urgent care centres is the second part of the plan to introduce a network of urgent care centres across the county. Initially the Cheshunt and Hertford centres are being piloted and their effectiveness will be evaluated after 12 months. The new centres at Hertford County and Cheshunt Community hospitals are scheduled to open in October 2009. They will provide care for patients with injuries caused by accidents and those who have minor medical emergencies that are not immediately critical or life threatening. Open from 8am to 8pm, seven days a week, the urgent care centres can treat many of the patients who currently attend existing accident and emergency departments. The next two UCCs are planned for St Albans City Hospital in St Albans and Herts & Essex Hospital in Bishop’s Stortford, both opening in 2010. The final Urgent Care Centres will be at Watford General Hospital, at Lister Hospital, in Stevenage and at the QE11 Hospital, Welwyn Garden City. Lister Hospital – new facilities Over £100m is being invested in improving services at the Lister Hospital in Stevenage. This will provide modern surroundings for patients and staff, shorten waiting times and improve car parking. The planned four phases of development are: Phase 1 – Surgicentre, a brand new, state-of-the-art building, which is being developed with our partner Clinicenta for completion in 2011 How the Lister looks now and the plans for 2013 Phase 2 - Maternity services, a new £16.4 million facility will be completed before the end of 2011 Phase 3 – Multi-storey car park, this will have around 670 spaces and be linked directly to the hospital. There will be a landscaped plaza at the front and have patient transport ambulance parking and blue badge parking on the ground floor. Phase 4 – A&E and emergency services, emergency and inpatient services will be brought together in specialised, environments. The changes will take place at the same time that the new urgent care centres are developed at the Lister and QEII in Welwyn. This bulletin has been produced on behalf of the Delivering quality health care for Hertfordshire Programme Implementation Board, comprised of Chairs, Chief Executives and senior doctors from NHS East and North Hertfordshire, NHS West Hertfordshire, East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust and West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust and representatives of the East of England Ambulance Service. It will be issued bimonthly. For further information please contact Hertfordshire Primary Care Trusts on 01707 367222, East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust on 01438 781522 or West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust on 01442 287684. New medical centres proving popular June 2009 saw two new medical centres - West Herts Medical Centre in Hemel Hempstead and Spring House Medical Centre in Welwyn Garden City - open their doors enabling patients to see a GP or nurse from 8am to 8pm, every day of the year. Patients can choose to register at the centres or be seen as an unregistered patient. Both registered and unregistered patients can walk-in or pre-book an appointment. Eventually, the centres will be part of the Local General Hospital developments. Communications – we’re letting people know We are continuing to brief journalists about the ongoing developments so that Hertfordshire residents know what is happening. A new publication ‘Your Guide to Local Health Services’ is being produced and will be delivered to every household in the county. A series of information sharing road-shows begins this September as the Hertfordshire PCTs engage with the public across the county. Building on a number of outdoor events which took place in early summer, further roadshows are planned during the autumn. Travellink News New information leaflets are also now available and are being distributed to update people about the health services available in their areas. These include details of the new urgent care centres for Cheshunt and Hertford, the new medical centres and access to outof-hours GP and Dental services. Run by Herts County Council and the Hertfordshire Health West Hertfordshire: 01438 737505 Trusts, Travellink provides transport information and makes Dacorum, Hertsmere, St Albans, Three Rivers & Watford) travel bookings for patients needing the county’s health services. Travellink is based in Stevenage and takes calls from 8am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday. Travellink can also provides advice to people on low incomes on how to reclaim costs using the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme. Travellink is the single point of contact for all non emergency patient transport arrangements East and North Hertfordshire: 01438 737252 (Broxbourne, East Herts, North Herts, Stevenage& Welwyn Hatfield)