Chesterfield healthcare news

New eye hospital to reduce waiting times in Chesterfield

A state-of-the-art eye care hospital is set to open in Chesterfield, and promises to reduce waiting times for patients in our area.

The SpaMedica clinic, which can be found just outside the town centre on Spire Walk, Derby Road, specialises in NHS cataract surgery and will reduce the waiting time to just four to eight weeks from referral, compared to a national target of 18 weeks.

The new hospital has already created a variety of clinical, administrative and operational jobs for the local community, and will help to meet rising demand for treating the sight-stealing condition, with the number of people living with sight loss expected to increase by 20% by 2032.

SpaMedica’s Chesterfield clinic is the second within the county, with the other being based nearby in Derby.

Around 21% of the Derbyshire population is aged over 65 – some 223,000 residents. With approximately 30% of over 65s believed to live with a cataract that impairs their vision, up to 67,000 people in Derbyshire could be affected.

Hospital manager Kirsty Hardy said: “We have a fantastic new facility in Chesterfield and can’t wait to help patients from across Derbyshire get back to doing the hobbies and activities they love – like reading and driving – as soon as possible.

“We know that cataracts can have a major impact on people’s ability to live life to its fullest, so working in partnership with the NHS to reduce waiting times for surgery means a lot to us.

“Many people in England don’t realise that they have the right to choose where they have their cataract treatment. All they need to do is ask their optician or GP to refer them to their hospital of choice.

“Our Chesterfield hospital is easy to get to by car or public transport – and we offer a free door-to-door transport service for patients if they need it, too.”

If you’re looking for a perfect location and quality of life for you and your family, look no further than Chesterfield. Find out more about living in our town here.

SpaMedica Chesterfield team

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Ceremony celebrates construction of multi-million pound mental health facilities in Derbyshire

A new 54-bed mental health facility for adults is progressing in Chesterfield, providing acute adult care on the Royal Hospital site.

Integrated Health Projects (IHP), the joint venture between VINCI Building UK and Sir Robert McAlpine, has celebrated the ‘topping out’ of the Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust’s new mental health facilities across Derbyshire.

Mark Powell, Chief Executive of Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Simon Corben, Director and Head of Profession for NHS Estates and Facilities at NHS England, and Geoff Neild, Programme Director for the Making Room for Dignity Programme attended an event held at Derby Kingsway Hospital alongside members of the project team.

The pioneering new mental health facilities are delivered as part of the Trust’s ambitious £150 million Making Room for Dignity Programme – a project using a blend of central, regional and Trust funding to completely revamp the county’s mental health inpatient (hospital) facilities.

The works include the Derwent Unit, a 54-bed mental health facility for Adult Acute Care at the Chesterfield Royal Hospital, and the Carsington Unit, another 54-bed mental health facility for Adult Acute Care as well as a 14-bed Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit at Kingsway Hospital in Derby.

Every room across both Adult Acute Care facilities will be en-suite and temperature controlled, with the facilities also including a shared therapy suite, kitchen, indoor fitness room, online library resource room, arts room and access to a secured roof terrace and garden for wards on the first floor.

James Beardmore, Project Manager at IHP, said: “We are proud to celebrate this significant milestone for these important projects and the exemplary collaboration demonstrated by the project team. We look forward to delivering these adult acute care facilities for the Trust’s ambitious Making Room for Dignity Programme. Once completed, they will greatly improve mental healthcare services across the region.”

Geoff Neild, at Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, said: “The Derwent Unit at Chesterfield and Carsington Unit at Derby form the backbone of our dormitory eradication programme giving each service user their own en-suite bedroom.

“For those service users from Derbyshire requiring intensive psychiatric care there is currently no provision within the county and our service users are currently placed in out-of-area facilities. This has a huge impact on the ability of family and loved ones to provide support at a time when it is often most needed. Kingfisher House will provide a 14 bedded unit meeting the needs of male service users in Derbyshire. Along with the newly refurbished Audrey House the Trust can meet the majority of the needs of both male and female service users requiring high acuity facilities.

“I am delighted that these new facilities will give staff, service users, family and friends fantastic settings in which to deliver or receive therapeutic care and support.”

topping-out_group-photograph

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Dr. Hal Spencer named as new CEO at Chesterfield Royal Hospital

Following an extensive independently managed recruitment process,  Dr Hal Spencer has been announced as the new Chief Executive Officer at Chesterfield Royal Hospital.

Hal had been Medical Director at Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust since 2018 – after spending two years as the Divisional Director for the hospital’s Medicine and Emergency Care Division. After undertaking his training in Cambridge and London, he went to work as a junior Doctor in Nottingham Middlesbrough and Australia. He then completed his general medicine and specialist Gastroenterology training in and around Sheffield, including a year as a Registrar in Chesterfield where he joined the consultant team in 2004.

Dr Hal Spencer said: “I am delighted to be appointed as Chief Executive of Chesterfield Royal Hospital, a hospital I have worked in since I was a junior Doctor. I am proud of all my colleagues and the care and support we give both to each other and to our patients. We do great things here, and I am very much looking forward to leading our teams to do so much more. It is a very exciting time to take over the reins.”

Dr Helen Phillips, Chair of the Trust said: “I am absolutely delighted to announce that Hal has appointed as Chief Executive of CRH. I know that colleagues and stakeholders join with me in wishing him the very best in the role. It is Hal’s authenticity, respect, and ability to truly show how he lives our values that will define his leadership of the Trust.”

Dr. Spencer has also joined the board of Destination Chesterfield, helping to drive forward the promotion of the town.

Chesterfield Royal Hospital supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

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‘State-of-the-art’ critical care beds welcomed into hospital to transform patient care

Chesterfield Royal Hospital’s critical care unit received 24 patient beds that will enhance patient care in the department. The unit looks after those needing round the clock, one-on-one care for illnesses, such as organ failure or respiratory support.

The new specialised beds provide enhanced functions, such as multiple heights and positions. This will minimise colleagues’ risk or injury when aiding and supporting patients.

Natalie Cooper-Hatch and Maxine Hardy, Critical Care Matrons at Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust said: “As a team, we are so pleased to have 24 new beds arrive onto Critical Care this week, replacing our previous beds. The technology is extremely advanced, and it will really enhance the patient care we are able to deliver to some of the hospital’s most vulnerable patients.

“Critical care is where our really poorly patients are cared for, with some patients being with us for months. Last year we looked after more than 1,000 patients and we know that these beds will make a huge difference to our patients and our team; we can’t wait to start using them to see the benefits in patient care and our patients’ recovery.”

Repositioning patients in bed regularly has many benefits, including better respiratory care, early mobilisation and can reduce the risk of pressure damage, assisting in recovery. The high-tech beds have in-built scales, providing accurate weight monitoring which influences nutrition needs and medication doses.

Sarah Ward, Deputy Chief Nurse at Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust said: “We are delighted to receive these state-of-the-art beds onto our critical care unit. The team look after the sickest patients, often with life-threatening illnesses. With the increased functionality and technology these beds offer, we know that we’ll be able to do more for our patients.

“Having these beds in our busy critical care unit enables us to continue to deliver exceptional care to those patients who really need specialised support from our skilled and dedicated patient care team.”

Special training will be taking place in the unit over the next few weeks, to ensure colleagues understand all functions of the beds. The previous beds in the unit will go on to be recycled or refurbished by the supplier, Linet.

Chesterfield Royal Hospital supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 190 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

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Progress continues on new urgent care department at Chesterfield Royal Hospital

The ‘super structure’ of the £24m Urgent and Emergency Care Development (UECD) at Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has now been completed.

The UECD, due to open its doors in Spring/Summer 2023, has now reached the next stage in its build with the final concrete floor slab, now in place thanks to the expertise of specialist tradespeople.

The final section will be the base for offices, changing facilities and staff rooms.

Berenice Groves, Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Operating Officer, said: “This is a great landmark moment for the development. It means we have completed a pivotal stage, without issue or concern and the structural elements are now in place. As we move forward, we’re focusing more on how the building will function and truly benefit our patients, colleagues and visitors.”

The concrete used is steel fibre reinforced concrete. The steel fibres reduce the need for traditional reinforcing bars and mesh as the fibres, making the process more effective and efficient. The concrete was pumped through a mobile concrete pump to the work site before being vibrated, and ‘floated’. ‘Powerfloating’ essentially polishes the surface of the concrete to achieve a smooth uniform finish to a high level of accuracy.

Though the concrete can now be walked on, having been poured on Friday, 11 March, it will continue to set for a further 56 days.

Berenice added: “The move to complete our structure of the UECD is a hugely positive and welcome one. The concrete – like many of the elements of the building – was managed by professionals, who are specialists in their area and we are very pleased with the process to date.”

The Trust recently went out to patients, colleagues and the public to ask about the colours and artwork for the new development – the results of this will be confirmed in the coming weeks.

Chesterfield Royal Hospital supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

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Chief Executive at Chesterfield Royal Hospital announces her retirement

Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust’s Chief Executive, Angie Smithson, has announced that she will retire in April.

After serving 36 years in healthcare, Angie joined the Trust almost three years ago and has since provided leadership throughout the pandemic.

Angie has also served as a member of the Destination Chesterfield board, helping to guide the strategic direction of the promotion of Chesterfield as a place to live, work, visit and invest.

Dr Hal Spencer, the Trust’s current Medical Director, will take the role in the interim before recruitment is expected to begin later in the year.

Angie said: “I can’t say enough about how incredibly proud I am of all our colleagues who make the NHS and Chesterfield Royal Hospital the place it is today.

“We have a caring and successful organisation and continue to recruit and retain some of the very best colleagues in the country. We are now setting course for the future with Joined Up Care Derbyshire and the establishment of the Integrated Care Boards, this provides a clear vision of the further ongoing improvements we want to make for our patients.

“Seeing that through is a long-term job and as my plan was to retire at this age, now feels like the right time to leave on a high. I will stay in position to provide a suitable handover and provide stability to the organisation that I am hugely proud of and I will be handing over to Dr Hal Spencer as the interim Chief Executive from 1 April. I know Dr Spencer will offer clear and compassionate leadership during these challenging times.

“It has been such a privilege to have worked in healthcare for the whole of my career and to have been the Chief Executive here at Chesterfield Royal Hospital. I have relished leading through these unchartered waters with a team that continue to go not only the extra mile but the extra marathon! You are a credit to the organisation, the NHS and the communities we care for. Thank you.”

Angie’s career started in nursing in 1986 and has since worked in nursing and midwifery, whilst completing her degree. She then moved into general management roles, completing an MBA and has served in Board Director roles in Foundation Trusts for the last 14 years.

During her time in charge, Chesterfield Royal Hospital was shortlisted by the HSJ for two years running for Staff Engagement and Freedom to Speak up, receiving highly commended accolades for both, has refreshed the Trust Five Year Strategy and also agreed and commenced the £24m Urgent and Emergency Development – all alongside managing the pandemic. The Trust is currently rated as Good by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Dr Helen Phillips, Chair of the Trust, added: “We wish Angie all the very best for the future. Her leadership has been greatly appreciated during what has been an unprecedented period of challenge compounded by the effects of the pandemic.”

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