Hospital staff pull out all the stops to boost beds

Hard working staff from both Ormskirk and Southport hospitals worked tirelessly to reopen under-utilised space at Ormskirk.  This has created additional beds at Southport, and will help to reduce the amount of waiting time for some patients being admitted from A&E.

The changes

• A reconfiguration of E, F, G and H wards at Ormskirk has enabled Southport and Ormskirk Hospitals NHS Trust to open a new, fully refurbished 14 bedded Orthopaedic Rehabilitation unit on H ward at Ormskirk.  This has freed up 16 beds for acutely ill patients at Southport

• Last month, some of Southport’s physiotherapy outpatient team moved to A Ward at Ormskirk, creating an additional 11 escalation beds at Southport on Ward One

Chief operating officer Steve Christian explains further:

“Last year we invested heavily in our emergency department at Southport hospital and this helped us to achieve our best winter performance for some time. However early signs indicated that this winter was going to be one of the toughest across the NHS, so we developed a plan to better use space at Ormskirk, therefore creating more capacity at Southport.

“There was an incredible amount of work to be done, and I have been overwhelmed with the enthusiasm and team work shown by all – domestics, porters, the catering team, builders, project managers, ward staff, nurses, medics, therapists, both medical and non-medical support staff…this list is very long!  We are incredibly grateful to all those who helped us make these changes happen in a very short time frame.

“The new orthopaedic rehabilitation unit at Ormskirk was full within 24 hours, and our first patients have been very happy with the service.  Our amazing staff have tackled the changes with endless energy and enthusiasm, and I would like to thank them all for pulling together as a team at this most challenging time of year.”

How patients will be affected

• If for example, you break a leg and need surgery, then you will be on the‘trauma pathway for orthopaedic surgery’ and will be operated on in the usual way at Southport

• Then, if you are expected to be in hospital for more than three days, and if you are well enough, you will be transferred to the new unit at Ormskirk for your rehabilitation

• You would then remain under the care of the same orthopaedic team, overseen by the consultant of the week at Ormskirk, until you are ready to go home

• If you need physiotherapy as an outpatient, you will be treated at Ormskirk on A ward, unless advised otherwise

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