I’m devoting this blog to my charity of the year, Brighter Futures. Both to let you know what’s happening with the charity and the help they offer to Swindonians at the GWH.
If you can help them at all, they would be very grateful. Here’s a round-up of what the GWH is doing right now and what it hopes to do with help from Brighter Futures
Breast Clinic Appeal
The breast centre at the GWH offers routine breast screening to all adults, of both sexes, in the 50-70 age group, registered with a GP in Swindon and the surrounding area.
But that’s not all they do. For men and women with a GP’s referral, they operate five rapid-access, one-stop clinics. That service helps around sixteen patients per clinic.
The past two years have seen a forty per cent increase in referral rates. The pressure this increase is placing on the service and its clinics is considerable.
With the help of Brighter Futures, the team hope to increase the capacity of the service. Their plans include adding a further four clinics. That will increase the number of patients they can support to thirty per clinic.
As they await plans from an architect and estates’ management the appeal target is under review. But they anticipate a need of around £400k.
Urology Appeal
The GWH treats problems of the female urinary system and the male genitourinary tract.
Urology conditions diagnosed and treated include disorders of the kidneys, ureters, bladder, prostate and male reproductive organs. Procedures carried out there include:
- Prostate surgery
- Bladder tumour resection (TURBT)
- Laser stone surgery
- Flexible and rigid cystoscopies and more besides.
At the moment, urology services at GWH are spread across the hospital. What’s needed and wanted is to bring all the services together into one centre of excellence within the hospital.
Architects have identified a space for such a centre and the GWH is working with their estates team on costs – anticipated to be in the region of £1m. This is a large-scale project which will happen over a few years – approx. 3.
Dementia Appeal
In 2010 the approximate number of people living in Swindon with dementia was 2,107. Based on current projections it’s likely to increase by 41% to 2,977 by 2021.
In Wiltshire, the number of people with dementia in 2012 was 6,538, with a projected rise to 8,338 by 2020. People with dementia admitted to acute hospitals have poorer outcomes. They have a greater risk of delirium, prolonged length of stay and death.
In a bid to deliver high care standards and improve the care experience for dementia patients and their carers, the Great Western Hospital NHS Foundation Trust have committed to developing services, equipping staff and enhancing their environment.
Their three-year plan is to:
- Refurbish a second ward into a dementia-friendly ward like Jupiter Ward
- Refurbish the Teal Ward relatives’ room into a nostalgia room in the style of a 1950s lounge
- Create a sensory room or garden for dementia patients and organise cinema afternoons on a weekend in the Academy – the training centre at the Hospital.
As I write this they’re writing the business case. The collective cost of these projects? Around £300k
Fibroscanner Appeal
Fibroscans are essential in the quick diagnosis of liver disease.
NICE recommends that hospitals offer adults with chronic hepatitis B something called transient elastography. This procedure assesses liver stiffness. It’s a non-invasive investigation with immediate results. Fibroscanners are a useful tool in assessing the degree of liver damage in any liver condition
The Fibroscanners that the GWH want have replaced the need for doing invasive and painful liver biopsies needing long hospital appointments. A fibroscan is fast, painless and can be carried out either by the bedside or in a clinic room.
At present the Great Western Hospital NHS Foundation Trust can’t provide such a service as they lack the equipment. An agreement with Oxford Hospital that had a member of their team visit the GWH had to stop due to increasing demand put on it. Thus, the GWH seek £40,000 for a scanner at the Great Western.
A reminder that, if you’re a member of staff at the GWH, I offer a 15% discount off all my services here at Swindon Will Writing. Remember to tell me that you work there when you call to make an appointment.