PEOPLE in Rochdale who need surgery for broken limbs will in future be dealt with in Oldham.
The changes which were brought in on Thursday this week, mean that patients attending Rochdale Infirmary from now on will continue to be seen and treated at the town's accident and emergency department.
But if that patient needs an operation he or she will be transferred to the orthopaedic trauma team based at The Royal Oldham Hospital.
Once the treatment has been given there, Rochdale patients will be discharged from the Royal Oldham, but those needing a prolonged stay will be returned to Rochdale Infirmary for further treatment and recovery time.
Meanwhile Rochdale Infirmary, is to become a centre for orthopaedic day surgery in order to maximise use of the highly skilled surgical team there.
The changes are part of the Healthy Futures Programme, which is charged with modernising the way local health is delivered by providing the most effective service for people in Rochdale.
Sir Jonathan Asbridge, the programme director said: "We believe this is the most effective way to use staff skills and resources to deliver improved services for our patients. The re-shaping of trauma and orthopaedic services is the first major change in the Healthy Futures Service reconfiguration project which is designed to change the way health services are delivered across the north east sector of Greater Manchester."
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max Imum (14/11/2009 at 20:44)
MPs gravy train, UK (15/11/2009 at 10:43)
The Chef, Spotland (16/11/2009 at 09:29)
Firstly it was decided to streamline the service and relocate it to the Infirmary, so Birch Hill was closed! a prime site for hospital expansion,but ££££'s in the pocket for those that sold it off for housing!
The infirmary is a site in the centre of residential property so very limited room for expansion so what is the option? move services to Bury and Oldham, where land for expansion is optimum and it is not in the interest of the decision makers whether it takes someone from Littleborough an extra 30-45 mins to get to an outpatient appointment.
Maternity and Childrens services are passed around from pillar to post because midwives and paediatric nurses are in short supply so there are not enough to staff the wards on every site.
The people of Rochdale trusted the words of those who said your hospital is safe!! They have been hoodwinked with lies and false promises.
Paul Mainwaring (16/11/2009 at 13:48)
The fact of the matter is that, if for example you have a simple and straightforward break of your arm or leg, you will still be treated at the infirmary and have it placed in a cast.
It is only if the fracture is severe enough to require an operation that you will need to be transferred to a specialist team at Oldham hospital.
We all know that headlines can be misleading, so perhaps a little more thought from the Observer before printing headlines such as this might help in the future.
The Chef, Spotland (16/11/2009 at 15:49)
Rochdale Infirmary had very good services available and were shining lights within the Pennine Acute Trust. Other Hospitals will benefit from the hard work and high standards that were set by the Doctors and nurses at the Infirmary and the people of Rochdale will be left with a shadow of what was once a very good hospital.
RED2THE CORE (16/11/2009 at 18:53)
Ray Stay (17/11/2009 at 09:19)
The Chef, Spotland (17/11/2009 at 10:53)
Years ago we had the scenario of Sir Cyril Smith and Liz Lynne acting as the boy with his finger in the dyke when it was first proposed to merge Rochdale with Bury hospital.
With their campaigning the idea was shelved only for it to be reinstated through the back door including Oldham this time after the dust had settled and other issues took our eyes off the ball!
Lorna Fitzsimmons was powerless to halt the demise even though she was on the side of the party in power and knew what was happening.
The people of Rochdale are resigned to the fact that we will have no choice but to travel for our healthcare needs. All because the Government can only budget the NHS for so many Hospitals so in their eyes it makes sense to put all the eggs in one basket.
However when you fall over you break more than if they were kept separate!!
johnbel, Rochdale (17/11/2009 at 12:21)
The Chef, Spotland (17/11/2009 at 13:19)
Emergency services are moved to Oldham because that is where the majority of emergency cases will be taken when the A&E is closed. The ward currently accepting planned surgery at Oldham has been half empty and run with 2-3 nurses at any given time, so as Oldham is being marked as the flagship for the Pennine Acute Trust, it needs numbers through its doors.
Without the patient figures the money received from the government will be substantially less than they would like. So with this in mind sacrifices are to be made and Rochdale is the sacrificial lamb!