Trust running Solihull Hospital proposes big shake up of services to patients - The Solihull Observer

Trust running Solihull Hospital proposes big shake up of services to patients

Solihull Editorial 27th Jun, 2019   0

A SHAKE up in services provided by the hospital trust which runs Solihull Hospital has been proposed with the aim of boosting results for patients.

University Hospital Birmingham Foundation NHS Trust (UHB) has announced proposals to switch around adult surgical services in a bid to ‘reduce waiting times and improve outcome.’

The trust, which runs Solihull Hospital, Heartlands Hospital, Good Hope Hospital and Queen Elizabeth Hospital wants to change how it delivers its trauma, orthopaedic and gynaecology services to create ‘centres of excellence.’

Planned knee, hip and shoulder replacements will all now be carried out at Solihull Hospital.




The Trust says the Lode Lane hospital will see an increase of 708 patients a year for this service.

Fractured hips will be operated on at Heartlands Hospital.


Wrist and ankle fractures will ‘mostly be undertaken’ at Good Hope Hospital.

Good Hope will also be the primary hospital for gynaecology.

Planned surgery such as hysterectomies and ovarian cysts will be carried out at Good Hope and not at Heartlands.

Anyone with an unexpected gynaecology condition who arrives at Heartlands, which does not require urgent surgery, will be transferred to Good Hope.

Women requiring emergency surgery will still be treated at their local hospital.

Good Hope will treat around 1,588 extra gynaecology patients a year, UHB said.

UHB say there is no envisaged change to the way children access and receive care within this proposed model and will be cared for at Heartlands and Good Hope Hospitals.

A Trust statement said: “These proposals are not about removing any of our services or saving money.

“They are about more patients being treated quicker, with reduced complications and likelihood of cancellation, being treated and cared for by a skilled workforce in environments designed for modern healthcare which in turn will support the retention and recruitment of staff.

“These proposed changes apply to the patient’s surgery/procedure only and may mean patients need to attend a hospital which is not their local site for one part of their care journey.

“The Trust will not be making any changes to where pre and post-operative outpatients, x-rays and scans and therapy appointments take place – they will still take place at local hospitals.”

The plans were set to be discussed at a meeting of the Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee at Solihull Council last night (Wednesday).

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