University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust

The University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust is a healthcare organization that was established on 1 November 2014. It operates the Royal Stoke University Hospital and the County Hospital, both located in Stoke, as well as the former Stafford Hospital in Stafford. The trust was formed following the dissolution of the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust. Currently, the trust is led by chair David Wakefield and chief executive Tracy Bullock.

The trust's main operations are carried out at the Royal Stoke University Hospital, with some functions still remaining at the old Royal Infirmary site. Additionally, there is a central outpatients department located in Hartshill, between the two hospital sites.

One of the trust's early decisions was to reopen 60 beds at the County Hospital. They have also recruited ten consultants and an additional 200 nurses. Services such as paediatrics, consultant-led maternity, and acute surgery have been relocated from Stafford to Stoke. Significant investments have been made in Stafford, including the expansion of the casualty department, outpatient facilities, and ward refurbishments. A new theatre and possibly a new eye surgery unit are also planned for Stafford.

The trust has been at the forefront of providing wifi access in its hospitals, recognizing the importance of keeping patients connected with their loved ones and improving patient interactions.

In January 2015, the trust declared a 'major incident' due to an overwhelming number of patients in the A&E department following a pneumonia outbreak. This led to images of patients on trolleys in hospital corridors being published. The trust experienced high bed occupancy rates during this period, with 613 patients waiting at least 12 hours on trolleys in January and February. Efforts were made to address the shortage by opening 56 additional beds at the Stoke site.

In 2015, the trust received over 4,000 compliments, many of which were from A&E patients, but also received 800 formal complaints.

The GP streaming service in the A&E department, previously operated by Vocare, was taken over by the trust after concerns raised by the Care Quality Commission in 2018.

Overall, the University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust plays a vital role in providing healthcare services to the local community, with a focus on improving patient experiences and addressing challenges in the healthcare system.

This article is a stub related to hospitals. You can help WikiMD by expanding it!