Southport District General Hospital to close?

[Polly Trott]

Hyper-acute stroke services at Southport Hospital are to be moved to Aintree in September. Aside from the point that the early hours of treatment following a stroke are crucial re better outcomes and waiting for an ambulance to drive you to Aintree is not early treatment, is this move part of the closure of our hospital by stealth? What other services have gone? What other services will go?

[said]

Hyper-acute stroke services at Southport Hospital are to be moved to Aintree in September. Aside from the point that the early hours of treatment following a stroke are crucial re better outcomes and waiting for an ambulance to drive you to Aintree is not early treatment, is this move part of the closure of our hospital by stealth? What other services have gone? What other services will go?

Southport Hospital is under immense pressure. Far more services and number of patients have been introduced since the hospital was built initially, and had been meant to cater for. It needs a larger hospital that I thought would have meant extending the existing to the surrounding area - but they built houses in that location instead.

The hospital could not have been extended vertically because the ground conditions do not allow for it - we need a far larger establishment for the facilities required. The only other option is to farm certain services to outer areas.

Ormskirk is a much quieter hospital,it has almost 500 in-patient beds, Southport caters mostly for Spinal injuries and has just slightly over 200 beds. There are 280,000 people in Southport, Formby and Ormskirk areas.

The NHS is gradually being cut back in all locations across the UK, the North East has better facilities as does the South.

[Stuartli]

Aintree hospital (most will know it still as Fazackerley) has always had superb A and E facilities for heart conditions emergencies, with dedicated facilities and immediate staff attention on arrival (I know from personal family experiences).

As for the distance involved, more serious cases can be taken much further to the Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, another superb hospital and the only "all on one site", to the best of my knowledge, in the UK.

[Alikado]

Southport Hospital is under immense pressure. Far more services and number of patients have been introduced since the hospital was built initially, and had been meant to cater for. It needs a larger hospital that I thought would have meant extending the existing to the surrounding area - but they built houses in that location instead.

The hospital could not have been extended vertically because the ground conditions do not allow for it - we need a far larger establishment for the facilities required. The only other option is to farm certain services to outer areas.

Ormskirk is a much quieter hospital,it has almost 500 in-patient beds, Southport caters mostly for Spinal injuries and has just slightly over 200 beds. There are 280,000 people in Southport, Formby and Ormskirk areas.

The NHS is gradually being cut back in all locations across the UK, the North East has better facilities as does the South.

Spinal injuries unit at Southport has about 40 beds only and is separate to to hospital.

Aintree's is a Trauma unit, Southport is only an A&E.

[said]

Spinal injuries unit at Southport has about 40 beds only and is separate to to hospital.

Aintree's is a Trauma unit, Southport is only an A&E.

I would have thought that most of Liverpool Hospitals are Trauma units!

[Alikado]

I would have thought that most of Liverpool Hospitals are Trauma units!

Aintree is the one for the NW, Alder Hey for Children.

[said]

Aintree is the one for the NW, Alder Hey for Children.

Then Alder Hey must be one of the busiest hospitals in the North West.

[Alikado]

Then Alder Hey must be one of the busiest hospitals in the North West.

It is, it has over 300 beds and treats over 300000 patients a year.

[Stuartli]

It is, it has over 300 beds and treats over 300000 patients a year.

Another superb hospital that, like others, caters for patients from over a wide area of the North West and, in some instances, the Isle of Man.

[Polly Trott]

None of which answers the question is Southport hospital going to close? Or perhaps Southport hospital as we know it to close? Re services being available at Aintree it's the getting there when time is of the essence that is crucial - and that assumes an ambulance turns up in time.

[sandGroundZero]

Specialization in medical treatment is such that there are not enough specialists or resources to staff hospitals in every community.

If symptoms of stroke (for instance) are evident, do you want to be rushed to Southport hospital to be seen by a generalist who does not have the knowledge, training and equipment to give the most effective treatment?

[Little Londoner]

None of which answers the question is Southport hospital going to close? Or perhaps Southport hospital as we know it to close? Re services being available at Aintree it's the getting there when time is of the essence that is crucial - and that assumes an ambulance turns up in time.

Perhaps the CEO of Southport & ODGH might be the person to ask I doubt any of the replies have been made by a management grade employee of the Hospital Trust.

As for having centralised specialities in Liverpool great for the people of Liverpool but if any of us in Southport have a heart attack closely followed by a stroke there isn't much down for the Golden Hour by the time the ambulance turns up the patient is assessed and the Ambulance reaches Fazackerley, Broad Green or any other non Southport based centre for treatment.

Three years ago my significant other fell and hit head, 999 "is the patient breathing" yes what is the problem" fell and hit head " we have no ambulances do you have a car" yes " put patient in car and take them to A&E if there is any change en route stop and phone 999" but you have just said you have no ambulances " but we can tell you what to do"
Imagine same scenario for Fazak Broad Green etc.

[Polly Trott]

Perhaps the CEO of Southport & ODGH might be the person to ask I doubt any of the replies have been made by a management grade employee of the Hospital Trust.

As for having centralised specialities in Liverpool great for the people of Liverpool but if any of us in Southport have a heart attack closely followed by a stroke there isn't much down for the Golden Hour by the time the ambulance turns up the patient is assessed and the Ambulance reaches Fazackerley, Broad Green or any other non Southport based centre for treatment.

Three years ago my significant other fell and hit head, 999 "is the patient breathing" yes what is the problem" fell and hit head " we have no ambulances do you have a car" yes " put patient in car and take them to A&E if there is any change en route stop and phone 999" but you have just said you have no ambulances " but we can tell you what to do"
Imagine same scenario for Fazak Broad Green etc.

I don't know how we fight this. There is no real acknowledgement it is happening. We are told larger "centres of excellence" have better "outcomes" but that better outcome makes the assumption you get to the regional unit quickly and you get to it alive.

The NHS is being sold off and cut by stealth.

[Alikado]

None of which answers the question is Southport hospital going to close? Or perhaps Southport hospital as we know it to close? Re services being available at Aintree it's the getting there when time is of the essence that is crucial - and that assumes an ambulance turns up in time.

Southport is no different to other hospitals, the NHS model has been changing for years. All over the country various 'Specialist Centres' have been created in all regions with A&E the idea is the most serious cases are stabilised at local A&E departments before being transferred to the 'Specialist Centre '
Any hospitals under threat of closure will be ones that are in close proximity to others, Ormskirk is close to Aintree, Wigan and Leigh so when it starts to becoming 'end of life' you will find services being moved out.

[Polly Trott]

Southport is no different to other hospitals, the NHS model has been changing for years. All over the country various 'Specialist Centres' have been created in all regions with A&E the idea is the most serious cases are stabilised at local A&E departments before being transferred to the 'Specialist Centre '
Any hospitals under threat of closure will be ones that are in close proximity to others, Ormskirk is close to Aintree, Wigan and Leigh so when it starts to becoming 'end of life' you will find services being moved out.

And being no different doesn't make it a better idea. Ormskirk hospital is two miles closer to Aintree than Southport. That's assuming the fastest route does not have hold ups enroute.