A NEW surgical unit has opened at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester, supporting patients who need urgent surgical care to get the treatment they need sooner.

The surgical assessment unit can care for patients who have either been referred to the unit by their GP or who have been identified as suitable for the unit when they arrive in the emergency department – reducing the number of patients waiting to be seen. 

The unit means that patients have direct access to specialist surgical staff, speeding up expert assessments and ensuring patients can start to get the treatment they need sooner. Once at the unit, patients are either examined straight away or, if more appropriate, they can return home and go back for investigations or treatment at an ambulatory clinic.

Against the backdrop of sustained pressures across NHS services, the unit is just one of the solutions Hampshire Hospitals is introducing to provide quality and timely care for as many patients as possible – reducing the number of people in emergency department waiting rooms and supporting flow through the hospital.

Alex Whitfield, chief executive at Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “The Surgical assessment unit is all about providing patients with access to many of the services available to patients on hospital wards, such as assessment by senior staff and diagnostic scans, without needing to be admitted to the wards.

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“We have tested this model at our hospital in Basingstoke, where it has made a big difference in reducing overnight admissions whilst ensuring patients get the investigations and care they need. It is great to be able to provide this service in Winchester as well.

Hampshire Chronicle:

“A huge thank you to the teams who have worked so hard to get this unit up and running, it is wonderful to see so many expert teams work closely together to help provide the best possible care to patients in the right place, and at the right time.”

Winchester MP Steve Brine said: “I am delighted to be able to open the new surgical assessment unit at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital. This new unit is part of an ongoing programme of investment at RHCH and shows how the staff here in Winchester are continuing to innovate to care for those in their care.

“The SAU will have an immediate and positive impact on patients as they will be able to access the care they need more quickly before being able to go home to their loved ones.”