Orthopaedic base set for Hairmyres
EK hospital is earmarked to house surgery unit
Hairmyres Hospital has been earmarked to house Lanarkshire’s elective orthopaedic surgery unit.
Lanarkshire Health Board have approved plans to concentrate trauma and elective surgery at Hairmyres and Wishaw hospitals.
And long-term the health board want to create a two-site centre of excellence model with Wishaw providing all operative trauma services and Hairmyres providing elective orthopaedic services.
This proposal will go out to consultation in August.
NHS Lanarkshire chiefs believe the changes to the service will deliver improved and more consistent outcomes for patients, reduce the time patients spend in hospital after surgery and improve waiting times.
Dr Jane Burns, NHS Lanarkshire divisional medical director of acute services, said that maintaining the status quo was not an option.
She said: “Our review included two stakeholder events which featured representation from service users, carers, clinical staff and public partnership forums.
“These events considered the available options and the favoured proposal was for a two site model with a mix of trauma and orthopaedic work at Wishaw General and Hairmyres Hospital as part of phase one.
“The ultimate aim is to have a two-site centre of excellence model with one hospital providing all operative trauma services and the other providing elective orthopaedic services.
“Maintaining the status quo is neither a sustainable option, nor will it address the safety and quality issues raised in the 2013 HIS Rapid Review report and in the visits by the GMC and NES.”
The health board said that the proposed change has the support of trade union representatives as well as the Lanarkshire Area Clinical Forum, a body representing a wide range of health professional
NHS Lanarkshire has also given a clear commitment to the continued provision of three district general hospitals, Hairmyres, Wishaw and Monklands, each with consultantled emergency departments (ED) which will each have access to emergency surgery and medicine, with support from; critical care, diagnostics and outpatients.