Health chief predicts more use of hospital

The interim boss of the trust that runs Newark Hospital says he believes more people will be treated there in the years to come — but does not see it being upgraded to accept emergency admissions.

Mr Eric Morton, the interim chief executive of Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said empty wards at Newark could be brought back into use for rehabilitation; more outpatients could be taken on; and that there could be more procedures such as hip, knee and cataract operations.

He said more autonomy could be given to Newark to manage itself, and that he would speak to GPs face to face in an effort to get more patients referred there.

But when asked if there was any possibility of Newark being upgraded to accept some emergency admissions, he said he saw “no wholesale return of that kind of service.”

Mr Morton said: “We should only be doing in any hospital what it is appropriate to do in that hospital. We can’t provide what we are not competent to provide.

“It is not in patients’ interests to come here for emergencies that can’t be treated here.”

He said he would look at the extent of what could be provided at the Minor Injuries Unit and that he wanted to see patients return to Newark from acute hospitals, such as King’s Mill, more quickly.

“We have empty space such as the Friary Ward, and we have had preliminary conversations about how we might use it,” he said.

“I would like to see people get out of acute hospitals earlier and move them closer to home for rehabilitation. It is important for families and relatives to have people as close to home as we can.

“The ward provides an opportunity to work with the Care Commissioning Group to repatriate patients.”

Mr Morton said the hospital could do more of what it did already.

“There is no reason why we can’t do more things like hips, knees and cataracts,” he said. “The only constraint is space and we do have space.

“Having more outpatient work here that could bring in inpatient work as well is an option. We can work with GPs to extend outpatient capacity and that could lead to additional surgeries.”

Mr Morton said trust would write to GPs to inform them what could be done at Newark and that he would personally visit GP surgeries to try to resolve issues preventing them referring patients to Newark.

“GPs must have confidence in the services we have here,” he said. “If there are reasons GPs aren’t referring people here, we need to know what they are.

“It could be a multitude of reasons, such as things like the days of the clinics. We know patients want to come here and we can provide top patient services here, so if there are other reasons we need to work to solve them.”

He said he was meeting the manager of Newark Hospital, Tracey Wall, to discuss Newark working more independently, led by doctors and nurses who know the hospital.

“I do see more people being treated here and we will discuss what autonomy could be given to Newark,” he said.

“You should have doctors and nurses at the top supported by professional managers.”

He said he had met members of the Say Yes to Newark Hospital Campaign.

“They are pushing at the boundaries of what we can do and I don’t mind that,” he said.

Mr Morton was appointed by Monitor, which has intervened to try to turn around the trust’s financial and governance problems.

He is the fifth chief executive in three years, and the trust will be advertising for a new permanent chief executive in January.

“That has been a problem because it does not give consistency or direction to staff,” said Mr Morton.

“There is a lot I can do while I am here to put the organisation on the way to improvement and it is likely I will be here until an appointment is made.

“The next chief executive should provide leadership for the next four or five years.”