Even during these difficult times we are always looking to see how we can improve our care for those we serve and we will often look to you all to help us with this work.
One such proposal is to move the renal dialysis services which are currently being provided at the Princess Royal Hospital (PRH), Telford, to a £4.5 million purpose-built site at Stafford Park, Telford. Higher-risk patients would still be treated at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and our community services at Ludlow will also continue as they are.
Our renal dialysis services are facing considerable challenges because of an increase in demand due to recovering COVID-19 patients suffering from long-term renal complications, our ageing population, and population growth.
We have done all we can to expand the service within our existing facilities but, to ensure everyone continues to get the treatment they need, we are now proposing moving the PRH element to a more spacious and community-based unit which would meet both social distancing and privacy and dignity quality standards.
Under the plans it would free up space at PRH, with Ward 5 being upgraded and converted back into an inpatient ward supporting our emergency patients.
We would like the views of all our renal patients, carers and the public about this potential service change before any decisions are made. Details are available on our website (sath.nhs.uk), along with an online survey for dialysis service users.
Tonight (Wednesday 19 January) 7.30pm-8.30pm we will be holding a virtual focus group on the plans via MS Teams. To book your place at the focus group please email: sath.engagement@nhs.net or telephone 01743 492390 and leave a message with contact details.
We are also asking women across the county and mid-Wales how we can make it easier for them to get advice on their health in a survey which was launched earlier this week and coincides with Cervical Cancer Prevention Week.
Figures show that women are not coming forward for screening and asking for help with the menopause so a women’s health group made up of local NHS providers and patient representatives is trying to find out the reasons why.
The aim of the survey is to find out what women living locally know about cancer screening and the menopause. I would urge all women to take part in the survey – the first of its kind in county and mid-Wales – as the results will be used to shape future women’s services in our area.
The link for the survey, which should take approximately 15 minutes to complete, is available at www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/Women22 and runs until Monday 28 February.
Finally, I am always inspired by our colleagues, patients and their families and friends who raise money for our Trust and like to share all the good work that they do.
One of our End of Life Care Specialist Nurse Debbie Snooke raised £477 for the Swan Fund by jumping 10,000 feet from a plane in a tandem skydive. This is Debbie’s third skydive to raise money and she is already planning her fourth.
The money collected by Debbie will probably go towards CD Boomboxes for all the Trust wards. But it is not only staff who help fundraise for the Swan Fund – we have also had kind donations from families of relatives who have been cared for by the End of Life Team.
Thank you all.