Patient support pilot in Bishop's Castle
Staff from a town hospital will be taking part in a pilot scheme to boost doctor's services while the hospital is closed for refurbishment.
Nurses, therapists and health support workers from Bishop’s Castle Community Hospital will be taking part in a trial scheme to provide "enhanced healthcare" to support patients and help prevent the need for them to go the county’s acute hospitals at Shrewsbury and Telford for treatment.
At the same time patients leaving hospital will be provided with enhanced care and support at home, with the hope some will be able to leave hospital earlier because of it.
Staff volunteered for the work during the temporary closure of Bishop's Castle Hospital for essential building works over the next 10 to 12 weeks. All remaining hospital in-patients were transferred into the community at the end of July.
Dr Adrian Penney, of Bishop’s Castle Medical Practice, said: “The doctors and nurses will be working 8am until 8pm for seven days per week. More staff, more hours, more care.
"In Bishop’s Castle we are proud of the close working between the surgery and Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust. We are looking forward to the highly motivated and talented nurses working from the surgery.”
Steve Gregory, director of nursing and operations at Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust, said: “It is great to see the community hospital staff so committed to working with the doctors whilst we carry out essential building works at the hospital.
"I am also delighted that the patient’s group will be assisting us in the evaluation of this way of working. In the meantime any patient needing support in a community hospital will be cared for at one of our other hospitals.”
The close involvement of the patient’s group follows over two years of campaigning for local action to make the best-integrated use of the health services in southwest Shropshire and eastern Montgomeryshire.
Jan Arriens, chairman of the group, added: “Patients generally prefer to be treated at home, only going to hospital when it is absolutely necessary. They want a health and care service wrapped around their general practice, so this is a welcome first step on which we aim to build.”
