Tag Archives: Hospital

Healthcare, News

Colchester is home to new eye hospital

New SpaMedica hospital will help reduce waiting times for local NHS cataract and YAG laser capsulotomy patients

Residents of North East Essex and Suffolk can now access NHS cataract surgery and YAG laser capsulotomy closer to home, thanks to a new, state-of-the-art eye hospital opened by SpaMedica in Colchester.

The newest addition to the SpaMedica family – the country’s leading independent provider of NHS eye services – is located at Colchester Business Park.

It will help cut waiting times for NHS patients requiring treatment to improve their vision by offering appointments in just four to eight weeks, compared to a national target of 18 weeks.

SpaMedica’s hospitals number more than 50 nationwide and have successfully treated thousands of NHS patients. A total of 35 inspections by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) have resulted in 13 hospitals being rated as ‘Outstanding’ and 22 rated as ‘Good’, with SpaMedica’s hospitals in Poole and Gloucester described as “an exemplar of best practice which others can, and should, learn from”.

Over 15,000 patients have awarded SpaMedica a 5-star rating on NHS.UK.

In addition to offering access to high quality healthcare in a comfortable, welcoming environment, SpaMedica Colchester also provides a free transport service for those who may struggle to travel.

Hospital manager Natalie Gregory said: “Cataracts can make day-to-day activities like reading, driving and watching television more difficult, and some patients find themselves struggling to get out and about too. That’s why we’re delighted to be working in partnership with the NHS to ensure patients in our region receive rapid access to high quality treatment, so they can get back to life as usual as quickly as possible. We can’t wait to welcome our first patients.”

NHS patients who have been diagnosed with cataracts or posterior capsule opacification can ask for a referral to SpaMedica Colchester through their local optician or GP.

Cataracts Symptoms

 You may experience one or more of the following symptoms if you have cataracts:

  • Blurred vision
  • Difficulty driving at night
  • Difficulty watching television and reading
  • Being dazzled by sunlight and/or bright lights such as the headlights of an oncoming car
  • Fading of colours
  • Frequent changes to your spectacle or contact lens prescription

It’s best to see an optician if you think you have cataracts. They will perform a thorough eye check and will be able to refer you for treatment if needed. In England patients can choose which provider they have cataract surgery with.

To find out more visit www.spamedica.co.uk

Healthcare, Healthcare News, Healthcare Tech, News

Softcat awarded multi-million-pound device tender contract with Liverpool University Hospitals

Softcat plc, a leading IT infrastructure solutions and services provider, has been awarded a contract to be the new device partner for Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

The £4 million contract will support the opening and operation of Liverpool’s new 640-bed Royal Liverpool University Hospital which is due to open in September 2022.

Softcat will provide end-user devices, peripherals, pre-staging, deployment, engineering, and recycling services.

During this time, Softcat will work as an extension of the Trust’s Digital Services delivery team, joining an ecosystem of partners to deliver modern health-specific solutions, enabling them to meet current demands and challenges and provide a seamless experience for end-users.

The services that Softcat is set to provide are built to be agile, flexible and scalable, and form part of the company’s wider strategy to support digital transformation initiatives within the public health sector.

Softcat is an approved supplier on over 50 UK&I government frameworks, enabling healthcare organisations to obtain the technology they need at the most competitive price, whilst maintaining contractual compliance.

The device contract was awarded to Softcat following a further competition via the Health Trust Europe (HTE) ICT Solutions Framework (ComIT 2 – Complete IT); a framework that offers a broad scope of ICT, including hardware, software and professional services, to support NHS and wider public sector organisations with their procurement requirements in a proficient and cost-effective way.

 

Adam Rice, Public Sector Director at Softcat, said:

“Softcat plc is delighted to be working with the Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to support the organisation in achieving true digital transformation. The contract builds on over 10 years’ experience in helping our healthcare and NHS customers deliver a safer, efficient environment for their staff and patients.

 “NHS Trusts are being challenged by the need to transform the way they deliver care, while continuing to manage unprecedented demand. By helping Trusts harness the power of technology, we enable them to meet the challenge head on and improve outcomes, and patient and employee experiences.”

 

Dr Jason Bincalar, Chief Information Officer at Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust added:

 “Softcat is a valued strategic partner who bring to the table significant IT experience and great capability.”

 “Providing the best patient and staff experience at the new Royal Liverpool University Hospital was the driving force for the partnership with Softcat. The Trust needed an innovative way to equip the new hospital without compromising the high-quality service that our Digital team provides at our existing hospital sites. Sharing this challenge with Softcat and leveraging their full technology life cycle service has proved to be best approach.”

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NEWS: Bath’s Sulis Hospital first year anniversary – UK’s first private hospital where 100% of the shares are owned by an NHS Trust

June 2022 marks the first anniversary of Sulis Hospital in Bath, acknowledged for providing outstanding levels of patient care, and twelve years of new thinking in healthcare. It’s the UK’s first private hospital where 100% of the shares are owned by an NHS Trust.

Sulis Hospital, formerly known as CircleBath prior to the Royal United Hospital acquisition, continues to offer the same high standards of care for both private and NHS patients.

The Covid-19 pandemic has created a heightened appreciation for health and wellbeing, reinforcing the need to re-evaluate healthcare environments. The revolutionary Sulis Hospital embraces and uses nature in its built environment to enhance wellbeing and improve recovery times for patients. Originally designed by Foster and Partners, the hospital’s inherently flexible design has allowed the building to adapt to the changing needs of covid safe pathways and continue to deliver a holistic approach to healthcare [more here: https://www.fosterandpartners.com/plus/biophilia-in-design/].

Sulis Hospital is the first private hospital in the UK where 100% of the shares are owned by an NHS Trust. The hospital’s private patient care model benefits all by allowing any additional income, earned through private care, to be reinvested in high-quality services for all patients at the two hospitals, Sulis and the RUH. The acquisition by the RUH has grown the hospital’s services, increasing capacity for both NHS and private patients. This is particularly important at a time of recovery for NHS waiting lists nationally.

Simon Milner, Hospital Director Sulis Hospital said: “This is a new way of thinking in healthcare, benefiting all. Collaboration with the RUH NHS Trust has excellent benefits. The true value of our ability to preserve and contribute towards the NHS while at the same time offering the same high level of private patient care is being realised. We benefit in terms of governance and best practice while at the same time creating extra capacity to treat NHS patients. 

“Our vision is to drive innovation in healthcare, transforming how patients are diagnosed, treated, and rehabilitated. Nationally acclaimed consultant surgeons choose to see and treat patients at Sulis Hospital because we’re different, attracting patients from around the UK. Sulis Hospital offers over 350 treatments across 40 different specialities from cardiology to orthopaedic and ophthalmology to general surgery. A combination of new surgical techniques, including robotic hip and knee surgery, and advances in anaesthesia has led to a shift to same day surgery for common procedures facilitating a faster recovery for our patients.”

Cara Charles-Barks, Chief Executive Royal United Hospital said: “The RUH and Sulis have a long-established positive relationship highlighted in 2020 when Sulis Hospital provided a COVID secure environment for RUH elective and cancer patients. The collaborative approach has helped cut NHS waiting times not just at the RUH but across Bath, Swindon and Wiltshire with over 1,000 NHS patients waiting for over 2 years, being seen and treated at Sulis over the past 12 months, taking them off the waiting list.” 

Tessa Cox, private patient at Sulis Hospital said: “I chose to be seen and treated at Sulis Hospital privately as I didn’t want to wait, however I was also aware that by opting to go private I was making space on the NHS waiting list for someone else. What I hadn’t realised but am delighted to understand is that as Sulis is owned by the RUH therefore any profits go back into the local health economy supporting both hospitals. It means I was contributing to the NHS not taking from it. This really is unique.” 

As well as always maintaining a positive culture Sulis Hospital benefits from one of the best clinician-to-patient ratios around. Staff benefits include competitive salaries, annual pay awards, life assurance, private healthcare, flexible working opportunities, and a commitment to supporting professional and personal development. In the 2022 staff survey, staff demonstrated high levels of staff engagement, especially around role clarity, trust, and teamwork.