WELCOME to the first issue ofTrust News, which will keeppeople in Wolverhampton up todate with the latest news anddevelopments at The RoyalWolverhampton Hospitals NHSTrust.

The Trust provides anextensive range of healthcareservices at New CrossHospital, West ParkRehabilitation Hospital, incommunity health centres andpatients’ homes.

We are proud of the serviceswe provide, proud of our staffand proud of the care wedeliver.

You will read aboutdedicated staff working hardto provide care of the higheststandard.

There are stories aboutinnovation and investmentwhich mean the services weprovide continue to improve.

And we want to reflect howeach and every patient who

comes to see us is treated asa customer, whose experienceand views matter to us all.

There is news of our record-breaking performanceon controlling outbreaks ofthe hospital acquiredinfection MRSA. We haven’thad a single case at NewCross Hospital for over 1,000days.

There is also news of aground-breaking heartprocedure, where twolifesaving operations wereperformed, one immediatelyafter the other, thanks to

some innovative thinking byone of our consultants.

When we do something wellit means better service for ourpatients. When we innovateand invest, it means betterfacilities or more effectivetreatments for local people.

And when this Trust doessomething better thananywhere else in the NHS, it’sa very healthy situation indeedfor everyone who needs anduses our services.

Good news... and why this Trust’s success benefits local people

Find out more about your local NHS Trust � SEE INSIDE

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

Azero-toleranceapproach tohealthcare acquired

infections has enabled NewCross Hospital to achievethe outstanding record of1,000 days without a caseof the MRSA blood infection.

The best-practice milestone– a record for a large NHSacute Trust – is the result ofa sustained focus on robusthygiene including handwashing and limiting theunnecessary use of medicaldevices or intravenous lines.

No cases of MRSAbacteraemia, a bloodinfection, have beenrecorded at the hospitalsince June 2009. This is atribute to the commitment ofthe Trust Board and theefforts of staff to keep thehospital environment cleanand hygienic at all times.

All incoming patients arescreened for MRSA, whilethe Trust’s infectionprevention team carries outregular screening of patientsin nursing and residentialhomes across the city.

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

clinically with their armsbare below the elbowsand junior doctors aretrained and tested ininfection prevention.

Blood cultures aretaken by trainedphlebotomists, ratherthan junior doctors, anda nurse has beenemployed to look atpreventing infection fromlines and devices such ascatheters, drains and tubes.

Staff are encouraged tochallenge anyone they thinkis not following hand hygieneprocedures, and systematicaudits are carried out.

Cheryl Etches, ChiefNursing Officer at theTrust, said: “Onethousand days without asingle case of MRSAbacteraemia is amagnificent achievementand reflects everyone’sefforts to ensure healthcareacquired infections areprevented.

“But we cannot becomplacent and we are alsofocussing on trying toprevent other types ofinfections such as thoserelated to wounds andmedical devices.”

PIONEERINGsurgeons at the Trust, led byDr Saib Khogali,pictured above,performed twolifesaving heartoperations in onesession for thefirst time ever.

To find out howa flash ofinspiration led tothe exciting worldfirst, turn to pagefour.

World firstin heartsurgery

InfectionPrevention

Nurse HeatherGuttridge using

hand gel on wardD4 at New Cross

Hospital.

Issue 1, May 2012

Trust MRSA-free for 1,000 days

Patients’ surveygives valuablefeedback andhelps improveservices

Page two

By DavidLoughton CBEChief ExecutiveThe Royal WolverhamptonHospitals NHS Trust

New Cross - 1 15/5/12 10:14 Page 1

THE ultimate test of thestandards of any hospital iswhat patients feel about how

they are treated during their stay onthe wards.

At New Cross Hospital that test isnow applied on a regular basisthanks to a comprehensive patientsurvey that captures valuablefeedback on a range of services.

The Patient Experience Trackerinitiative was launched at thehospital in April 2011. Initially usedon adult inpatient wards, it is nowalso in the Emergency AssessmentUnit and Neonatal department.

The next step will be to roll out thesurvey to outpatients, day cases andcommunity and children’s services.

Trained volunteers carry out thesurvey by visiting the wards on aweekly basis, using hand heldelectronic tablets to record and storereplies to 24 questions.

Patients are asked for their opinion

on just about every area of theirexperience of being an inpatient. Forinstance, they are invited to ratestandards of cleanliness in the wardand bathroom, hospital food and theoverall attention received in the ward.

Other questions include: Are staffkeeping you informed about yourcondition or treatment? Are youtreated with kindness andunderstanding? Are you beinginvolved as much as you want to bein decisions about your care andtreatment? Do you have enoughprivacy when being examined ortreated? Do staff clean their handswith soap and water or gel beforetreating you? Would you recommendthe hospital to your friends?

Data from each department is sentto the Ward Manager, Matron andDirectorate Manager every month andkey issues arising from the survey areconsidered by the Trust. For example,In October’s survey a reduced number

of people felt they were beinginvolved in their care or treatment andthis is currently being addressed.

On a more positive note, between95 and 97 per cent of patients feelthey are treated with kindness andconsideration – a trend where theTrust consistently scores highly.

The number of patients who agreeto take part in the survey varies frommonth to month, but generally, mostpeople are happy to co-operate. InJuly, for instance, as many as 709inpatients in the hospital providedtheir input to the survey.

Charlotte Hall, Deputy Chief Nursefor Quality and Safety, said: “Thesurvey is an ongoing process whichis still being developed and refined,but already it has proved to be anextremely effective tool in helping usto assess the quality of the medical,nursing and support services weprovide and to identify areas wherewe can do better.”

THE Safe Hands real time locatingsystem is being introduced in wardsthroughout New Cross Hospital toimprove patient safety and staffefficiency.

A badge uses radio frequency andinfra-red technology to locate patientsand equipment. The system monitorsempty beds so the most suitable foreach patient can be found as soonas it is available. It also alerts staffto patients at risk, such as thosesusceptible to falls, or dementiapatients leaving the wardunaccompanied.

It has been successfully trialled inthe dementia care ward and is nowbeing developed further to roll out toall wards this summer.

The system monitors the care andlocation of patients and can beviewed on a screen by staff caring forthem on the ward. The system alsotracks the location of equipment,while staff can use Safe Hands tocall for assistance by pressing thierbadge to pinpoint exactly where theyare.

Clare Nash, Productivity ProgrammesManager, said: “Our trial with SafeHands confirms that the system iseffective in improving patient safety byensuring patients at risk are monitoredclosely by staff. The Trust expectsSafe Hands to reduce time spentsearching for equipment andinformation by 60 per cent, as well ascontributing to wider patient safety.”

INSPECTORS from theCare QualityCommission haveissued New CrossHospital with a cleanbill of health.

The Governmentwatchdog has giventhe thumbs-up toaction plans drawn upby the hospital in thewake of itsinvestigation, in Marchlast year, into concernswhich had been raisedacross five areas ofcare:● care and welfare of

older people● co-operating with

other providers● staffing● assessing and

monitoring thequality of serviceprovision

● complaintsThe CQC found that

the Trust wascompliant in staffing,but had one moderateand three minorconcerns in the otherareas.

To address theseconcerns the Trustintroduced additionalstaff training,increased monitoring,special assessments ofpatient nutrition andimproved information tohelp patients make acomment or complaint.

After making astandard follow-up visitto the hospital tomonitor progress inJanuary 2012, theinspectors sent areport to the Trustgiving New CrossHospital the all-clear.

Cheryl Etches, ChiefNursing Officer, said:“The Board of the Trustwas very pleased tolearn from the reportthat the Care QualityCommission foundimprovements on itsfollow-up visit.

“It gives us someassurance that ouractions have had apositive impact onpatients and theirfamilies.

“However, we are notbeing complacent andhave developed asustainability plan toensure that theseimprovementscontinue.”

Hospitalgiven acleanbill ofhealth

YOUNG jobless people in Wolverhampton arebeing offered exciting opportunities to get workexperience in health services under agovernment-backed scheme, supported by theTrust.

Around 100 18-24 year-olds are set tobenefit from placements in a range of differentdepartments, both at New Cross Hospital andwith healthcare staff working in the community,through the Trust’s participation in the GetBritain Working scheme.

Starting in June and overseen by JobcentrePlus, the project will run through to the lateautumn with participants being taken on ingroups of 12.

Young people in the relevant age group whohave been unemployed for longer than threemonths, but less than nine, can apply for a six-week work experience placement with the Trustvia their Jobcentre Plus advisor.

After making an initial approach at JobcentrePlus, applicants will attend a groupintroductory session which may include aliteracy and numeracy assessment. The nextstage is an interview at the Trust, and, ifsuccessful, the young person will attend aninduction session and receive any specifictraining required.

The young people will be supervised at alltimes by a placement ‘buddy’ and will be madeaware of Trust policies and proceduresincluding safety regulations.

At the end of the placement, the youngpeople will be reviewed and given a referencefor their CV.

● Applications for a work experienceplacement at the Trust must be made througha Jobcentre Plus advisor.

A £1 million surgical robotintroduced a year ago hasbeen hailed a major successby the surgeons who use it.

More than 50 operationshave now been carried outby the Da Vinci robot.Prostate Cancer Specialist,Peter Cooke, was the firstsurgeon trained to use therobot and admits the newhigh-tech surgery has majorbenefits compared totraditional keyholeprocedures.

Mr Cooke said: “Using therobot for operations hassurpassed my expectations.We have stopped doing

standard keyhole surgery forprostate cancer patientsbecause it is so good.

“Having used it I wouldnever go back to anythingelse and we are looking toroll out the use of the robotfor other surgical proceduresin the future.”

Patients who undergotreatment in this way canexpect less scarring, ashorter hospital stay and farless risk of infection. Sixsurgeons at the hospital arenow trained to use therobot. The Trust remains theonly facility in the MIdlandsto have this technology.

£1m robot haileda major success

NEW Cross Hospital hasintroduced major changes in thecare of patients with acutephysical illness who also sufferfrom dementia.

The changes have been madealongside the completerefurbishment of Ward D22 andfocus on three key areas: thehospital environment; nutrition andhydration and goodcommunication.

Staff on D22 have been trainedto care for dementia patients withunderlying conditions, such asbroken hips and strokes, while thedementia awareness message hasbeen spread to everyone fromhospital porters to medical staffand referring GPs. Since theintroduction of this far-reaching

strategy, the number of patient fallincidents has halved.

There has been a major increasein the number of patientsdischarged to their admissionaddress and a significant rise inthe number of patients who gainweight while on the ward.

The result has been aremarkable improvement in thelevels of patient, staff and visitorsatisfaction.

Elsewhere in the hospital, adementia outreach team draw upindividual care plans for patientswho cannot be moved from otherwards.

Now the hospital is working withthe Royal Colleges of Nursing,Physicians and Psychiatrists tocreate a National Quality Mark for

the care of elderly patients.In addition, the development of

best practices on D22 have beenadopted by other wards in thehospital. These include using aperson-centred approach whichlooks beyond the patient’simmediate illness to them as anindividual, and makingdocumentation more concise toavoid duplication and give staffmore time to spend at patients’bedsides.

Karen Bowley, Matron in theRehabilitation and AmbulatoryCare Group, said: “Theimprovements we have introducedare part of the Trust’s two-yearprogramme for nursing and theyhave been successfully adopted tosupport other patient groups.”

A £900,000 refurbishment programme underwayin the A&E Department at New Cross Hospital isset to deliver new levels of clinical excellencewhile at the same time making the patientexperience more comfortable.

A rapid assessment area has been created sothat a patient can be transferred directly from anambulance to triage for assessment andassigned directly for the relevant treatment.

The drugs dispensing area has been extendedand enlarged, a point where blood gas levels canbe tested has been established and a new drugspreparation area has been set up.

The major injuries department is undergoing afull makeover including the provision of newmonitoring equipment, while the relocation andenlargement of the opthalmology department

has enabled the provision of two extra cubiclesfor minor injuries.

All areas of A&E are being redecorated andupgraded, new stainless steel fixtures andfittings are being installed, and the waiting andreception areas are being fully revamped.

Patient-friendly facilities include cushionedseating, while colour-co-ordinated visual displayson the walls will give patients information abouttheir treatment pathways.

Peter Holland, Project Manager said: “Our aimis to improve the patients’ journeys from thesecond they arrive right through to when theyleave.

“As well as supplying better clinical facilitiesthe refurbishment programme will go towardsimproving the general hospital environment.”

£900,000 redevelopment makesA&E experience better for all

Hi-tech trial boostspatient security

Ward refurbishment and staff trainingimproves care for dementia patients

PatientExperience

Support WorkerAnn Plumbe carriesout a survey withwith the patient

tracker tablet.

The SafeHands patient

wristband and, inthe background, the

screen displaywhich showspatient data.

Patients given chance tomake comments

Staff NurseMichelle Redding,

right, and UnitManager Stuart

Logan in the newlyrefurbished

resuscitation unit.

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

Trust News, May 2012 32 Trust News, May 2012

Staff Nurse Naomi Large looks through someStroke improvement programmes.

Patients attending New Cross Hospital's A&Edepartment with a suspected stroke now havedirect access to a dedicated Stroke Unit, 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week.

Under the system, patients suspected ofsuffering a stroke are assessed in A&E andtransferred directly to the Stoke Unit, givingthem rapid access to high quality nursing careand daily therapy. Eligible patients also receivethrombolysis with blood clot-busting drugs to tryto 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, tohelp prevent a subsequent full blown stroke.

The facilities at the hospital will form part ofthe regional stroke services to be assessedfrom May 2012-January 2013 as part of astroke review to be carried out under thenational NHS framework by NHS Midlands andEast cluster of strategic health authorities.

The overall aim of the review will be toensure there is an efficient and effectivestroke service across the whole of theMidlands and East area, ensuring fast accessto high-quality acute services.

It will study current systems and outline aset of agreed standards to maximise clinicaloutcomes and patient experience. This mayinvolve a rationalisation of stroke services inline with other models of service delivery inthe country.

The recommendations of the review will beimplemented from April 2013.

Stroke Unit step up toadmissions challenge

Work experience for100 young people

New Cross - 2+3 14/5/12 15:00 Page 1

THE ultimate test of thestandards of any hospital iswhat patients feel about how

they are treated during their stay onthe wards.

At New Cross Hospital that test isnow applied on a regular basisthanks to a comprehensive patientsurvey that captures valuablefeedback on a range of services.

The Patient Experience Trackerinitiative was launched at thehospital in April 2011. Initially usedon adult inpatient wards, it is nowalso in the Emergency AssessmentUnit and Neonatal department.

The next step will be to roll out thesurvey to outpatients, day cases andcommunity and children’s services.

Trained volunteers carry out thesurvey by visiting the wards on aweekly basis, using hand heldelectronic tablets to record and storereplies to 24 questions.

Patients are asked for their opinion

on just about every area of theirexperience of being an inpatient. Forinstance, they are invited to ratestandards of cleanliness in the wardand bathroom, hospital food and theoverall attention received in the ward.

Other questions include: Are staffkeeping you informed about yourcondition or treatment? Are youtreated with kindness andunderstanding? Are you beinginvolved as much as you want to bein decisions about your care andtreatment? Do you have enoughprivacy when being examined ortreated? Do staff clean their handswith soap and water or gel beforetreating you? Would you recommendthe hospital to your friends?

Data from each department is sentto the Ward Manager, Matron andDirectorate Manager every month andkey issues arising from the survey areconsidered by the Trust. For example,In October’s survey a reduced number

of people felt they were beinginvolved in their care or treatment andthis is currently being addressed.

On a more positive note, between95 and 97 per cent of patients feelthey are treated with kindness andconsideration – a trend where theTrust consistently scores highly.

The number of patients who agreeto take part in the survey varies frommonth to month, but generally, mostpeople are happy to co-operate. InJuly, for instance, as many as 709inpatients in the hospital providedtheir input to the survey.

Charlotte Hall, Deputy Chief Nursefor Quality and Safety, said: “Thesurvey is an ongoing process whichis still being developed and refined,but already it has proved to be anextremely effective tool in helping usto assess the quality of the medical,nursing and support services weprovide and to identify areas wherewe can do better.”

THE Safe Hands real time locatingsystem is being introduced in wardsthroughout New Cross Hospital toimprove patient safety and staffefficiency.

A badge uses radio frequency andinfra-red technology to locate patientsand equipment. The system monitorsempty beds so the most suitable foreach patient can be found as soonas it is available. It also alerts staffto patients at risk, such as thosesusceptible to falls, or dementiapatients leaving the wardunaccompanied.

It has been successfully trialled inthe dementia care ward and is nowbeing developed further to roll out toall wards this summer.

The system monitors the care andlocation of patients and can beviewed on a screen by staff caring forthem on the ward. The system alsotracks the location of equipment,while staff can use Safe Hands tocall for assistance by pressing thierbadge to pinpoint exactly where theyare.

Clare Nash, Productivity ProgrammesManager, said: “Our trial with SafeHands confirms that the system iseffective in improving patient safety byensuring patients at risk are monitoredclosely by staff. The Trust expectsSafe Hands to reduce time spentsearching for equipment andinformation by 60 per cent, as well ascontributing to wider patient safety.”

INSPECTORS from theCare QualityCommission haveissued New CrossHospital with a cleanbill of health.

The Governmentwatchdog has giventhe thumbs-up toaction plans drawn upby the hospital in thewake of itsinvestigation, in Marchlast year, into concernswhich had been raisedacross five areas ofcare:● care and welfare of

older people● co-operating with

other providers● staffing● assessing and

monitoring thequality of serviceprovision

● complaintsThe CQC found that

the Trust wascompliant in staffing,but had one moderateand three minorconcerns in the otherareas.

To address theseconcerns the Trustintroduced additionalstaff training,increased monitoring,special assessments ofpatient nutrition andimproved information tohelp patients make acomment or complaint.

After making astandard follow-up visitto the hospital tomonitor progress inJanuary 2012, theinspectors sent areport to the Trustgiving New CrossHospital the all-clear.

Cheryl Etches, ChiefNursing Officer, said:“The Board of the Trustwas very pleased tolearn from the reportthat the Care QualityCommission foundimprovements on itsfollow-up visit.

“It gives us someassurance that ouractions have had apositive impact onpatients and theirfamilies.

“However, we are notbeing complacent andhave developed asustainability plan toensure that theseimprovementscontinue.”

Hospitalgiven acleanbill ofhealth

YOUNG jobless people in Wolverhampton arebeing offered exciting opportunities to get workexperience in health services under agovernment-backed scheme, supported by theTrust.

Around 100 18-24 year-olds are set tobenefit from placements in a range of differentdepartments, both at New Cross Hospital andwith healthcare staff working in the community,through the Trust’s participation in the GetBritain Working scheme.

Starting in June and overseen by JobcentrePlus, the project will run through to the lateautumn with participants being taken on ingroups of 12.

Young people in the relevant age group whohave been unemployed for longer than threemonths, but less than nine, can apply for a six-week work experience placement with the Trustvia their Jobcentre Plus advisor.

After making an initial approach at JobcentrePlus, applicants will attend a groupintroductory session which may include aliteracy and numeracy assessment. The nextstage is an interview at the Trust, and, ifsuccessful, the young person will attend aninduction session and receive any specifictraining required.

The young people will be supervised at alltimes by a placement ‘buddy’ and will be madeaware of Trust policies and proceduresincluding safety regulations.

At the end of the placement, the youngpeople will be reviewed and given a referencefor their CV.

● Applications for a work experienceplacement at the Trust must be made througha Jobcentre Plus advisor.

A £1 million surgical robotintroduced a year ago hasbeen hailed a major successby the surgeons who use it.

More than 50 operationshave now been carried outby the Da Vinci robot.Prostate Cancer Specialist,Peter Cooke, was the firstsurgeon trained to use therobot and admits the newhigh-tech surgery has majorbenefits compared totraditional keyholeprocedures.

Mr Cooke said: “Using therobot for operations hassurpassed my expectations.We have stopped doing

standard keyhole surgery forprostate cancer patientsbecause it is so good.

“Having used it I wouldnever go back to anythingelse and we are looking toroll out the use of the robotfor other surgical proceduresin the future.”

Patients who undergotreatment in this way canexpect less scarring, ashorter hospital stay and farless risk of infection. Sixsurgeons at the hospital arenow trained to use therobot. The Trust remains theonly facility in the MIdlandsto have this technology.

£1m robot haileda major success

NEW Cross Hospital hasintroduced major changes in thecare of patients with acutephysical illness who also sufferfrom dementia.

The changes have been madealongside the completerefurbishment of Ward D22 andfocus on three key areas: thehospital environment; nutrition andhydration and goodcommunication.

Staff on D22 have been trainedto care for dementia patients withunderlying conditions, such asbroken hips and strokes, while thedementia awareness message hasbeen spread to everyone fromhospital porters to medical staffand referring GPs. Since theintroduction of this far-reaching

strategy, the number of patient fallincidents has halved.

There has been a major increasein the number of patientsdischarged to their admissionaddress and a significant rise inthe number of patients who gainweight while on the ward.

The result has been aremarkable improvement in thelevels of patient, staff and visitorsatisfaction.

Elsewhere in the hospital, adementia outreach team draw upindividual care plans for patientswho cannot be moved from otherwards.

Now the hospital is working withthe Royal Colleges of Nursing,Physicians and Psychiatrists tocreate a National Quality Mark for

the care of elderly patients.In addition, the development of

best practices on D22 have beenadopted by other wards in thehospital. These include using aperson-centred approach whichlooks beyond the patient’simmediate illness to them as anindividual, and makingdocumentation more concise toavoid duplication and give staffmore time to spend at patients’bedsides.

Karen Bowley, Matron in theRehabilitation and AmbulatoryCare Group, said: “Theimprovements we have introducedare part of the Trust’s two-yearprogramme for nursing and theyhave been successfully adopted tosupport other patient groups.”

A £900,000 refurbishment programme underwayin the A&E Department at New Cross Hospital isset to deliver new levels of clinical excellencewhile at the same time making the patientexperience more comfortable.

A rapid assessment area has been created sothat a patient can be transferred directly from anambulance to triage for assessment andassigned directly for the relevant treatment.

The drugs dispensing area has been extendedand enlarged, a point where blood gas levels canbe tested has been established and a new drugspreparation area has been set up.

The major injuries department is undergoing afull makeover including the provision of newmonitoring equipment, while the relocation andenlargement of the opthalmology department

has enabled the provision of two extra cubiclesfor minor injuries.

All areas of A&E are being redecorated andupgraded, new stainless steel fixtures andfittings are being installed, and the waiting andreception areas are being fully revamped.

Patient-friendly facilities include cushionedseating, while colour-co-ordinated visual displayson the walls will give patients information abouttheir treatment pathways.

Peter Holland, Project Manager said: “Our aimis to improve the patients’ journeys from thesecond they arrive right through to when theyleave.

“As well as supplying better clinical facilitiesthe refurbishment programme will go towardsimproving the general hospital environment.”

£900,000 redevelopment makesA&E experience better for all

Hi-tech trial boostspatient security

Ward refurbishment and staff trainingimproves care for dementia patients

PatientExperience

Support WorkerAnn Plumbe carriesout a survey withwith the patient

tracker tablet.

The SafeHands patient

wristband and, inthe background, the

screen displaywhich showspatient data.

Patients given chance tomake comments

Staff NurseMichelle Redding,

right, and UnitManager Stuart

Logan in the newlyrefurbished

resuscitation unit.

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

Trust News, May 2012 32 Trust News, May 2012

Staff Nurse Naomi Large looks through someStroke improvement programmes.

Patients attending New Cross Hospital's A&Edepartment with a suspected stroke now havedirect access to a dedicated Stroke Unit, 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week.

Under the system, patients suspected ofsuffering a stroke are assessed in A&E andtransferred directly to the Stoke Unit, givingthem rapid access to high quality nursing careand daily therapy. Eligible patients also receivethrombolysis with blood clot-busting drugs to tryto 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, tohelp prevent a subsequent full blown stroke.

The facilities at the hospital will form part ofthe regional stroke services to be assessedfrom May 2012-January 2013 as part of astroke review to be carried out under thenational NHS framework by NHS Midlands andEast cluster of strategic health authorities.

The overall aim of the review will be toensure there is an efficient and effectivestroke service across the whole of theMidlands and East area, ensuring fast accessto high-quality acute services.

It will study current systems and outline aset of agreed standards to maximise clinicaloutcomes and patient experience. This mayinvolve a rationalisation of stroke services inline with other models of service delivery inthe country.

The recommendations of the review will beimplemented from April 2013.

Stroke Unit step up toadmissions challenge

Work experience for100 young people

New Cross - 2+3 14/5/12 15:00 Page 1

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

World-first forheart surgery Aground-breaking heart surgery

procedure developed at NewCross Hospital is being hailed

around the world as a significantbreakthrough.

A dual operation carried out by DrSaib Khogali, Consultant in GeneralIntervention Cardiology, and his team,implanted an aortic valve in a patient’sheart while at the same time repairinga swelling called an aneurism – bothusing keyhole techniques.

It is the first time a TranscatheterAortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) and anEndovascular Aneurysm Repair (EVAR),gaining access through the same wireinserted in the thigh, have been carriedout in one operation.

Patient Henry Beirne, 82, says he is“very impressed” following theoperation and is now going through arehabilitation programme to increasehis amount of exercise – despite his

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

The breakthrough came about whenDr Khogali was examining Mr Beirne’sCAT scan and angiogram with a view tocarrying out an aortic valvereplacement. When he realised anaortic aneurism also needed treating –he asked himself why both could not bedealt with simultaneously.

Open heart surgery was not an optionfor Mr Beirne who was so ill that anychanges in his blood pressure wouldhave proved fatal.

“I suppose it was a flash ofinspiration,” he said. “I discussed withmy team how the cardiac surgeonscould insert the valve and leave ourinstruments in place, standing aside sothat the vascular surgeons and theinterventional radiologists could movein 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 throughthe arteries in the thigh, has ushered ina new era of treatment for heartpatients, many of whom are elderly andwould not otherwise be treatedseparately for the two conditionsbecause of the risk factor.

Since the pioneering initiative, afurther two combined TAVI and EVARoperations have been performed atNew Cross Hospital with excellentresults.

Dr Khogali, who is the clinical lead forTAVI at the hospital, has published apaper about catheterisation andcardiovascular intervention.

An abstract of the paper appeared inthe European Journal of Cardio-ThoracicSurgery and Dr Khogali has travelled toCroatia to give a presentation on thistopic to international colleagues.

HEALTH services in Wolverhamptonhave been further developed in thetwelve months since the integration ofacute hospital and community services.

In 2011, around 1,500 stafftransferred to The Royal WolverhamptonHospitals NHS Trust fromWolverhampton City PCT, giving theTrust the opportunity to merge servicesand combine the skills and expertisefrom hospital and community staff toprovide more seamless care to patients.

By bringing together hospital andcommunity services, the Trust hasdeveloped a more integrated approach

to clinical services – providing realbenefits for patients.

● Stroke patients are spending lesstime in hospital following theintroduction of a stroke discharge teamworking across the hospital andcommunity. This has enabled patients tobe discharged from hospital earlier, withappropriate support at home. Byreducing hospital stays more patientswill now benefit from strokerehabilitation services provided at WestPark Hospital.

● A newly formed WolverhamptonCommunity Cancer Team has been

launched to provide more care in thecommunity closer to patients’ homes.Oncology care, such as chemotherapytreatment, is to be provided incommunity health clinics across thecity and some services will be providedin patients’ own homes.

● Working with social services, theTrust has developed a project to improvethe way in which patients are dischargedfrom hospital. Social workers, hospitalstaff and community healthcare workersare working together to ensure completepackages of care are in place when apatient returns home.

Maxine Espley, Director of Planningand Contracting, said of the transfer ofservices: “At the point of integratingacute hospital and community servicesit was very much business as usual forpatients which demonstrated how wellthe transition has been managed.

“We have since been maximising theopportunity of bringing togetherhospital-based and community servicesto further improve patient care.”

Patients benefit from integration of community services

New pathologylab to open inearly 2013

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

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

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

Construction of the three-storey building iscosting £9 million and the Trust is making afurther considerable investment to ensurethe new facility is provided with cutting edgeequipment.

The centre will bring together themicrobiology, haematology, clinicalchemistry, histopathology and cytologydepartments – currently based in separatebuildings around the hospital site.

The ground floor will house a bloodscience laboratory equipped to test forconditions such as leukaemia and lymphonaand test the function of organs including thekidney, liver and heart.

On the first floor will be the microbiologylaboratory where samples are tested forbacteria, viruses and fungi, while thesecond floor will be devoted to cellularpathology, which includes determiningwhether tumours are malignant or benign.

Pathology services at the hospital handlemore than 1.2 million requests for workeach year – including blood tests, urinetests and identifying viral and bacterialinfections among patients.

Graham Danks, Pathology ServicesManager, said: “Moving all pathologyservices into the new centre, which will beserved by a central reception area, willconsiderably increase the speed at whichwe can provide test results.

“Having a single purpose-built laboratorywill eliminate delays and reduce handling ofsamples which will reduce waiting time forpatients and lead to an overall improvementin the quality of the patient experience.”

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

4 Trust News, May 2012

New Cross - 4 14/5/12 15:32 Page 1