New units expand services at hospital
HALTON Hospital’s range of services has expanded with the opening of two units representing a £3m investment.
The Captain Sir Tom Moore (CSTM) building, formerly the Cheshire and Merseyside Treatment Centre, celebrated the launch of the Breast Care Centre (BCC) and a modular pre-treatment centre.
Routine screening mammograms are now available to women from Halton, Knowsley, St Helens and Warrington at the facility, in addition to comprehensive diagnostics and support for patients with anomalies that have been detected, or those who have noticed changes or lumps and referred via their general practitioner.
The BCC features two mammography rooms, two ultrasound clinic rooms, consultation and counselling rooms and is located on the ground floor next to the existing MRI and CT scan service, which is usually involved as part of a cancer diagnosis.
It is also situated below the existing surgical ward which, under a dedicated “green pathway”, hosts a range of cancer surgery in addition to its longs-tanding orthopaedic operations.
A spokeswoman for Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (WHH) said the number of breast services patients has doubled in the past 20 years, adding that the centre offers specialist resources and equipment in a location with “a significantly enhanced patient access and experience”.
She said the launch took place following extensive public consultation on the reconfiguration of breast services in Halton and Warrington, in which more than two thirds of respondents supported the relocation of the assessment and symptomatic services from the Victorian Kendrick Wing at Warrington Hospital to modern facilities at Halton Hospital.
For patients requiring procedures, including cancer surgeries, a modular Pre-Treatment Unit has also been created to the rear of the CSTM.
This unit supports the elective “green pathway” with pre-surgery Covid-19 swabbing as well as carrying out full preoperative work-ups.
Patients are no longer required to enter the hospital for these tests and instead can drive up for Covid-19 swabbing or present for pre-operative examination through the green pathway.
Simon Constable, WHH chief executive, said: “It is a real pleasure to see these two excellent facilities come to fruition as part of our ongoing plans to redevelop the Halton site for our patients requiring planned procedures.
“The Captain Sir Tom Moore building is our flagship building and was purpose-built to handle day case and inpatient surgery, supported by imaging and physiotherapy.
“It is thanks to this facility that we have been able to continue our urgent and cancer procedures over the last 12 months of the pandemic.
“I am especially grateful to our two breast service patients Ms Gillian Quint and Ms Lesley Jones who kindly ‘cut the ribbon’ on the new breast centre despite all they are going through at the moment.
“I hope that they, and the many hundreds of patients that will come through this centre this year, have the best possible outcome and experience while in our care.”
Gillian Quint, breast service user, said: “For anyone that is worried about getting checked or going for treatment please don’t be.
“Everyone has been wonderful. I wouldn’t be here, if they hadn’t been there for me and the whole team is fabulous.
“I am recovering well after my surgery and I still get regular calls from the team to check on me.
“I am so proud to be part of today’s official opening of this amazing centre.”