Trauma and orthopaedic service move goes live

Date published: 10 November 2009

New specialist services for trauma and orthopaedic patients go live at midnight on Thursday (12 November) – becoming the second service change to be delivered through the Healthy Futures NHS modernisation and improvement programme.

From 12 November, anyone from the Rochdale borough who requires an operation on badly broken bones will be referred from Rochdale Infirmary’s Accident and Emergency Department to a specialist emergency surgery team based at The Royal Oldham Hospital.
Oldham patients who require day surgery for orthopaedic complaints, such as knee and shoulder conditions, will see their consultant at The Royal Oldham Hospital, but may have their planned operation at Rochdale Infirmary. All follow-ups for these patients will be at their local hospital, but some patients who have had emergency surgery may be asked to see the surgeon who operated on them, which could involve travel between Oldham and Rochdale - or vice versa.

The reshaped service delivery will see equal numbers of patients moving between Rochdale and Oldham to get the trauma and orthopaedic treatment they need.

The Hospital Trust says the plans to reshape and improve the way specialist trauma and orthopaedic services are delivered have been clinically driven by surgeons and other NHS specialists who are convinced that the changes are the best way to deliver safe, effective emergency and elective care.

Mr Chris Elsworth, Clinical Director of Trauma and Orthopaedics at The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust which runs both The Royal Oldham Hospital and Rochdale Infirmary, said:

“By concentrating our expertise and resources we are able to create first class specialist fracture surgery and elective surgery services for the people of Rochdale and Oldham. Making this service move possible has also involved other support services adapting how they work to make the patient journey as smooth as possible. It’s been a real team effort in the patients’ best interest. “

Sir Jonathan Asbridge, who heads the Healthy Futures Delivery Unit, said he was delighted to see the first major service reconfiguration go live.

“Healthy Futures is about modernising and improving local health services by building on the best of what’s available to offer patients safe, high quality services. The changes to the way trauma and orthopaedics treatment is delivered have full backing from the clinicians who deliver those services because they believe the changes are needed to deliver the best possible care for their patients,” he said.