NEWSGPWinter

January 2014

WHAT’S INSIDE: • Gastroenterology • Urgent Care Centre • Maternity modernisation

The Trust has launched a new service offering specialist advice to GPs, via telephone, at set times during the week.

10 specialties are taking part in the new service which went ‘live’ at the end of September. To access this service call the switchboard on 01895 239 877 at the times below and ask to be put through to the advice line for the speciality you wish to discuss.

For information about the advice service or to provide feedback on your experience please e-mail Kay Sandhu, Assistant Director of Operations for Cancer and Clinical Support Services, at kay.sandhu@thh.nhs.uk.

Specialist advice service for GPs

Cardiology: Monday & Wednesday 1:30pm - 2pm Gastro intestinal: Tuesday & Thursday 12:30pm - 1pm General surgery: Tuesday & Wednesday 12:30pm - 1pm Gynaecology: Monday & Thursday 1pm - 1:30pm Neurology: Wednesday & Friday 12:30pm - 1pmPaediatrics: Monday & Thursday 2pm - 2:30pm Radiology: Monday & Wednesday 2pm - 2:30pmRespiratory: Tuesday 3pm - 3:30pm, Thursday: 2pm - 2:30pm Rheumatology: Tuesday & Wednesday 12:30pm - 1pm Urology: Wednesday 1:30pm - 2pm, Friday: 2pm - 2:30pm

Happy new yearOn behalf of the team at The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust I would like to wish all of our GP colleagues a very happy New Year. One of our resolutions for 2014 is to improve the way in which we communicate with GPs helping them to find out more about the important changes that are happening across our Hillingdon and Mount Vernon sites.

GP News is just one way in which we will be doing this. Inside this issue you will find information about the work of our gastroenterology team and learn about important changes that are happening in the Urgent Care Centre and Maternity Unit.

You will also find an update on those consultants who have recently joined the Trust plus details of a specialist GP telephone advice service.

I hope you enjoy reading GP News and would welcome your feedback and any ideas for future content via email to tom.wright@thh.nhs.uk

Abbas KhakooJoint Medical Director

GP NEWS2

Spotlight on gastroenterology ‘Direct to test’ colonoscopy

The Trust is introducing a nurse-led pre-assessment clinic to enable ‘direct to test’ access for patients requiring colonoscopy.

The clinic will allow patients to proceed direct tocolonoscopy following GP referral and consultant vetting, without attending an initial consultant-led outpatient appointment.

This new service will significantly reduce waiting times for a definitive diagnostic test, maintaining safe practice, improving patient experience and optimising clinical outcomes.

The service will allow a streamlined approach for patients requiring colonoscopy. GP referrals will continue to be reviewed by our consultants and where appropriate will be referred into the nurse-led service.

The aim will be to see and assess patients within two weeks of GP referral.

Following assessment, full information regarding theprocedure, bowel preparation, dietary restrictionsand medication will be provided. Patients will beallocated an appointment for their procedure at thistime. Those patients who fail the assessment will be directly referred into the outpatient clinic for consultantreview.

New Endoscopy Unit at Mount VernonFollowing a £800K refurbishment, the Endoscopy Unit at Mount Vernon Hospital now offers excellent facilities for our patients and ensures compliance in all areas ready for our JAG assessment in 2014.

A new Endoscopy Unit is also being developed at the Hillingdon Hospital site which is planned to open in early 2015.

Specialist support for IBD patientsThe Trust has recruited a CNS to support inflammatory bowel patients promoting and co-ordinating a seamless pathway of care for patients from diagnosis through treatment. Central to the role is a collaborative approach with the multidisciplinary team to provide a comprehensive patient-focused service.

If you have any questions for the gastroenterology team please contact the clinical lead for endoscopy, Dr Aymer Postgate on aymer.postgate@thh.nhs.uk or Dr Bob Grover on bob.grover@thh.nhs.uk

The new Endoscopy Unit is located in the Treatment Centre at Mount Vernon Hospital

Colorectal talks – onsite at your GP practiceThe Colorectal Team at Hillingdon and Mount Vernon Hospitals want to continue to improve care for patients with bowel cancer. Early diagnosis is important and we would like to come out to your practice to talk about symptoms and referrals, and let you know more about our services.

We are aiming to visit as many practices as possible within the year. Please contact Alistair Myers, Consultant Colorectal Surgeon, by telephone: 01895 279891, 279435, fax: 01895 279284, or e-mail: thh-tr.hillingdoncolorectal@nhs.net, to arrange a suitable time and date.

GP NEWS

New Urgent Care Centre On 1st October 2013 the new Hillingdon Urgent Care Centre (“UCC”) opened its doors. The service is located in the main hospital building adjacent to the A&E department.

The Urgent Care Centre is run by a consortium led by Ealing Hospital Trust with their subcontractor Greenbrook Healthcare Ltd who manage the day-to-day operations.

The UCC service is designed to cater for minor illness and minor injury and should see and treat 60% of all patients requiring urgent or emergency care with A&E treating the remaining 40%.

Part of the remit of the UCC is to educate patients on the most appropriate point of care for their needs and thereby reduce UCC attendances where appropriate. GP practices should therefore expect to see some patients being re-directed back to GP care without receiving treatment at the UCC.

For further information on A&E and the way it interacts with the UCC please email Julie Wright, Director of Integrated Care at the Trust, at julie.wright@thh.nhs.uk.

Urgent Care Centre

New consultants

3GP NEWS |

In each issue of GP News we will provide an update on new consultants who have joined the Trust.

During 2013 the following consultants joined our team:

Dr Tristan Bate - PaediatricsDr Hannah Baynes - PaediatricsDr Alex Chan - PaediatricsDr Lance D’Souza – Care of the ElderlyMiss Sheena George - OphthalmologyDr Paresh Mistry - Emergency Assessment UnitDr Louise McCusker - Care of the ElderlyDr Rakesh Patel – Radiology Dr Nigel West – Anaesthetics

For full details of our consultant team including contacts and areas of special interest please visit the GP extranet website at nww.thh.nhs.uk.

GP NEWS4

Dedicated homebirth serviceThe Hillingdon Hospital Maternity Unit plans to increase the homebirth rate to over 2% per annum in 2014/15 (current rate 0.5%). This goal arises from our commitment to offer choice for women, and a service they can feel confident in, underpinned by a woman-centred approach to care in line with national recommendations. To achieve this aim we have reshaped our community midwifery service to create a dedicated Homebirth Team. This team of midwives will focus on providing evidence-based midwifery led care to low risk multigravid women living in the Borough of Hillingdon who choose to have a homebirth.

Looking further ahead, proposals are being considered by the Shaping a Healthier Future project team to create a joined up NWL homebirth service. We will provide more information on these plans as they develop.

Labour Ward refurbishmentThanks to a £741k grant from the Department of Health the maternity delivery rooms are being refurbished. The rooms are being modernised to provide individual en-suite facilities, new windows, upgraded air conditioning, adaptable soft lighting

and comfortable furnishings and environment.

The refurbishment works are scheduled to be completed in May 2014.

Improving patient experience in Maternity

While the work is on going some rooms will be closed but a midwifery led unit has been established on our antenatal ward to create additional capacity. The total number of available delivery rooms will therefore remain the same throughout the works. We have discussed with the building contractors the need for minimal noise and disruption within the labour ward and the need for complete privacy and dignity to be maintained at all times for our women.

If you have any questions regarding the maternity unit or if you would like to come and see the newly refurbished delivery suites then please email Anita Hutchins, Head of Midwifery,at anita.hutchins@thh.nhs.uk

A new arrival with mother and midwife

An artists impression of a new delivery room