THE specialist emergency care hospital is only one part of Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust’s plans to invest £200m to bring world-class care to communities in Northumberland and North Tyneside.
The plans involve:
Building a specialist emergency care hospital at Cramlington for patients in Northumberland and North Tyneside who are seriously ill or injured
Improving services and facilities at Wansbeck and North Tyneside general hospitals
Rebuilding community hospitals at Berwick and Haltwhistle
Dr Richard Curless, executive director for medicine and emergency care at Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, said: “While the specialist emergency care hospital is a major part of our plans, the £200m investment is about much more than this.
“We want to improve healthcare for our communities in Northumberland and North Tyneside and our investment touches all families in these areas.
“From a new hospital in Berwick for people in north Northumberland to working with Northumberland County Council on an integrated health and social care scheme in Haltwhistle for people in Tynedale, we’re ensuring that as many people as possible benefit from our plans.
“The majority of patients will continue to receive treatment at their local general hospital after the specialist emergency care hospital opens so our planned improvements to Wansbeck and North Tyneside general hospitals are very important.”
These improvements include providing more space and facilities on the wards, more single rooms and bathrooms, refurbishing clinics and public areas and having an enhanced patient information and advice service.
At North Tyneside General Hospital, a major improvement is planned for endoscopy, which will see the department moved and new state-of-the-art equipment installed.
Dr Chris Biggin, emergency care consultant at Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, said: “The new specialist emergency care hospital will save lives and dramatically improve care for patients in Northumberland and North Tyneside who are seriously ill and injured. For example a patient who fractures their hip or has a stroke will be treated at the new hospital. However, a patient who sprains their ankle or burns their hand will continue to be treated at their local general hospital.
“This is also where planned procedures such as hip or knee replacements, hernia operations and endoscopy investigations will be carried out and where people will see their specialist consultants as outpatients. In fact it will be where the majority of care will be provided.”
WHAT WILL BE IN THE NEW HOSPITAL
Emergency department receiving 999 and GP emergency admissions
8 wards providing specialist care in a range of conditions
240 beds – the majority will be single rooms with bathrooms
Intensive care unit providing specialist critical care for up to 18 patients
Clinical diagnostic support
6 operating theatres
Consultant-led maternity unit and special care baby unit
Children’s emergency assessment unit
Full range of ancillary and support facilities
WHAT WILL BE IN GENERAL HOSPITALS
North Tyneside, Wansbeck and Hexham general hospitals will continue to be busy hospitals after the specialist emergency care hospital opens where most care is delivered. They will provide:
Planned/elective treatment, procedures and operations such as hip and knee replacements
A&E walk-in services
Diagnostic tests and scans
Day surgery and day hospital services
Oncology (cancer) treatment
Outpatient clinics
Care for patients transferring from the new specialist emergency care hospital