Increased take-up for hospital clinics

Outpatient clinics at Newark Hospital are being used more, says the trust that runs it.

Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust says more services, such as treatment programmes and day case services, are being made available at the hospital.

It is part of a strategy launched last year with New-ark and Sherwood Clinical Commissioning Group.

Clinics at Newark Hospital in August were used to 89.29% of their capacity, and 14 of 21 outpatient specialities offered there were used to capacity at least 90% of the time.

The trust has increased the number of outpatient specialty clinics so patients do not have to travel to King’s Mill Hospital, Sutton-in-Ashfield, or other hospitals.

It has identified services in the outpatients department that could move to other parts of the hospital or health centres.

That would free up space for other outpatient clinics at the hospital.

Departments that could move are occupational health, smoking cessation, orthotics collection, dietitian consultation and surgical appliances.

The trust says it aims to ensure, wherever possible, residents in the area are offered the choice of an outpatient appointment at Newark Hospital.

Offering services to patients

Mr Peter Wozencroft, the trust’s director of strategic planning and commercial development, said there had been an increase in uptake of outpatient and day case services since the strategy was implemented.

“We are taking measures to ensure, where possible, that residents of the Newark district, if they wish to access services here and that service is offered here, that is facilitated,” he said at a meeting of the board of directors.

He said GPs in Newark were aware of the services offered at the hospital and knew to refer patients there.

A report considered by the board of directors said Newark Hospital continued to provide good access to diagnostic tests.

The trust is transferring medical day case activity for patients in the Newark area from the Welcome Treatment Centre at King’s Mill to the Minster Ward at Newark.

Additional services include blood transfusions and drugs treatments such as treating Crohn’s disease, colitis and bone weakness.

Rheumatology patients can also now be treated at Newark instead of King’s Mill.