It was recently announced that our Trust has secured £10 million funding for an elective surgical hub to be created at Princess Royal Hospital – this is excellent news and will mean that more elective operations will be able to take place.
We are always working to improve the care that we provide for our patients and this new hub will help reduce patient waiting times.
The hub, which will be operational from June 2023, will be ring-fenced which means that the beds will only be for patients waiting for elective day case surgery.
This week, the first autumn COVID vaccination boosters were launched in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin and the rest of the country – it will be offered first to those who are most at risk of COVID-19.
The Autumn Booster jab will be offered to everyone aged 50 and over as well as those who are at highest risk from serious illness such as pregnant women and people with long-term health conditions as well as frontline health and social care workers.
As with previous vaccination phases, the oldest and most vulnerable will be contacted first by the NHS (please wait to be contacted). Those eligible are then able to book in online or through 119, as long as it has been three months since their last dose.
As said previously, having your COVID-19 vaccination and booster jab is still the best way to protect yourself and your friends and family, both from contracting the virus and, if you should get it, from serious illness.
Across the county there is also an ‘evergreen’ offer for COVID-19 vaccinations meaning anyone who has not yet been vaccinated is able to come forward at any time to start their vaccinations.
As with previous rounds of the COVID vaccination, NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, will have vaccination sites around the region, the majority of which will be run by GP practices and community pharmacies, along with pop-up centres publicised on the website www.stwics.org.uk
Flu vaccines will also be available to everyone aged over 50 from this month – ensuring protection against two dangerous diseases as we head towards the autumn and winter. These will be available for eligible people to book via their GPs or community pharmacy.
Finally, if you are considering a career or just interested in the NHS, our Trust’s People’s Academy is holding a free online course, which starts tomorrow (Thursday 8 September).
Made up of four two-hour sessions over four weeks, this free online course covers how the NHS works across England and who makes decisions about how healthcare is provided in our county and mid-Wales; gives you the opportunity to meet our Director of Public Participation and teams from across our hospitals; an opportunity to complete a Dementia Friends Awareness Session and also find out how you can get involved and make a difference in our hospitals.
Everyone completing the course receives a certificate of attendance and an exclusive People’s Academy pin badge.
It would be great if you could join us for the course and if you can’t make it tomorrow there will be a further one held, starting on Thursday 3 November.
For more details visit our website www.sath.nhs.uk