Surgical care transition to Ormskirk continues with Southport ward changes

Southport & Ormskirk NHS Trust has confirmed surgical care for inpatients previously based at Ward 11A in Southport will continue to be provided from Ormskirk.

The move means that Ward 11A at Southport & Formby District General Hospital on Town Lane will no longer accomodate surgical patients. The team responsible for the running of the ward will be disbanded and redeployed throughout the Trust.

Staff on 11A were informed of the changes on Tuesday.

Until the start of the coronavirus pandemic, Ward 11A at Southport & Formby DGH was used for patients preparing for and recovering from surgery, but was utilised an as additional medical ward to house coronavirus patients from 2020. The Trust intends to continue moving the bulk of surgical procedures to Ormskirk in the future.

Instead the physical ward location will now be used to house other wards that are undergoing refurbishment until the program is completed next year.

The Trust denied that the changes on 11A could lead to job losses or a total reduction in the number of beds across both sites. A spokesman told OTS News that the Trust continues to participate in a national recruitment drive launched by NHS England in November.

Southport & Ormskirk NHS Trust said: “The planned surgical care ward at Southport and Formby District General Hospital, 11A, was given over to the care of medical patients during the Covid-19 pandemic. Patients requiring planned surgery were instead cared for at Ormskirk District General Hospital.

“The Trust is now continuing this arrangement which has had the benefit of reducing planned surgery cancellations because an 11A bed was urgently needed for a patient with a medical emergency.

“The Trust is working with individual staff from 11A through consultation and preference meetings to identify alternative roles or accommodate existing working patterns. Staff also have the option to transfer to another clinical area as part of the process.

“Our £900,000 Southport ward refurbishment programme, which was delayed by the
pandemic, is due to get started again next week.

“11A will be used by the wards undergoing refurbishment over the next 12 months and then
be available for escalation beds at times of heightened activity.

“Only one ward was completed by March 2020 with work still do on 11B , 10A, 10B, 9A, 9B,
7A and 7B. The improvements include:
• Modernisation of showers, bathrooms, medical utilities, office space, the nurse
station and nurse call system
• Brighter, energy efficient LED lighting
• New corridor flooring and refreshed painting, including consideration of colour to
meet the needs of patients with dementia”