Top Notch Care For The Fylde
Spire Fylde Coast Hospital’s commitment to deliver the highest level of care throughout the region continues with its latest investment in day care surgery, writes Meena McDonald. Photography: Roger Moore
Working collaboratively with healthcare professionals such as GPs and district nurses as well as the local NHS Trusts in Lancashire and the Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCG) to establish the needs of the local community, Spire Fylde Coast Hospital are expanding their services to enable them to carry out procedures and minor operations in an outpatients setting.
Patients waiting for injection therapies for their hip, knee, shoulder, hand or foot can be seen and treated much more quickly.
Mr Steve Mannion, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon commented: “The injection therapy would be carried out under ultrasound guidance for accuracy and instead of waiting all day to be seen in theatre the patient will be treated much more swiftly in an outpatient setting. Several minor operations will also be carried out in the new unit enabling patients to be treated without delay and allowing them to continue with their everyday lives without suffering in pain.”
Minor operations which can be conducted in the new outpatients unit include Carpal Tunnel, Trigger Finger, skin lesions, varicose veins, vasectomies, as well as some gynaecological treatments such as colposcopy and hysteroscopy.
Mike Sarson, Director of Clinical Services at Spire Fylde Coast Hospital commented: “We’ve worked with medical experts and the local trust to identify the needs of our community and we believe this new service will address the key pressure points in the area. We will deliver a much more effective and efficient service to patients who are currently on extensive waiting lists with the NHS and are in pain and struggling to live their normal lives. We want to enable those in the community to live their lives as fully as possible, getting back to work, enjoying sporting activities and other hobbies without being in pain.”
All operations and medical procedures will be carried out by some of the most highly respected and experienced consultants and surgeons in the region, so patients can rest assured that they will be receiving the best treatment possible.
Patients will be able to self-refer or be referred by their GP and be treated at their own convenience.
Following an initial consultation with the Consultant a treatment plan will be produced and agreed, with the procedure being carried out at the patients convenience. Some of the procedures can be conducted within the space of a couple of hours and the patients would remain in their own clothes without having to change into hospital gowns as they would have done in a theatre setting.
Mike Sarson continued: “This new investment will lead to much greater efficiencies and throughput of patients, allowing more people to be seen for minor less invasive operations and procedures, whilst freeing up the theatres to allow more major operations to take place, such as knee and hip replacements and hysterectomies. A truly complementary service to the NHS and a fantastic service for our patients.”
The hospital recently invested in a new high technology state-of-the-art MRI Scanner to facilitate faster diagnosis and treatment. The demand from patients for this new facility has been tremendous and the service will now be increasing from five to seven days.
Additionally, the hospital has invested in a hugely popular new breast service offering specialist care from a dedicated team of professionals. This service starts with breast screening and will be able to deliver diagnosis and treatment which may be required on site, providing an easily accessible service to those on the Fylde Coast.
The current situation has truly changed people’s attitudes towards healthcare and their own wellbeing. Rather than suffer on a daily basis and have their lives restricted, many are instead choosing to utilise private health cover or self-fund procedures. As the waiting lists continue to grow, particularly for minor non-urgent procedures, people are increasingly selecting this option.
Those individuals wishing to access private healthcare services also have the option of 0 per cent finance for a 12-month period through the hospital.
Mike concluded: “Spire Fylde Coast Hospital is dedicated to delivering speed of access to treatment and the highest Consultant care in the region. That is our promise to all our patients. Our investment decisions are based on local demand and we work very closely with all healthcare professionals in the region to deliver what our patients require. By providing early interventions plus fast diagnostics and treatments we can help improve patient outcomes. Our fundamental goal is to enable people to live their lives as fully, healthily and pain free as possible.”
Spire Fylde Coast Hospital
St. Walburgas Road, Blackpool FY3 8BP
Main switchboard: 01253 394188
Self-pay treatment enquiries: 01253 308031
spirehealthcare.com
