Enter and View: Manchester Orthopaedic Centre, Trafford General Hospital

Healthwatch Trafford conducted an announced Enter and View visit to the Manchester Orthopaedic Centre (Ward 21 and the Outpatient department), on 10 November 2017, to gather views of people using the service and identify examples of good practice demonstrated by the service.

Manchester Orthopaedic Centre is a specialist orthopaedic centre, and is a partnership between Salford Royal and Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust [now [MFT] Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust], staffed by consultants, nurses and other staff who specialise in orthopaedics. It provides planned day-case and in-patient surgery for patients in a purpose-built facility. Joint replacements including hips, elbows, knees, and shoulders are carried out at the centre and are supported by an extended therapy service which aims to see patients within 24 hours following treatment.

This report is compiled of responses to staff and patient questionnaires devised by Healthwatch Trafford and the Matron of Surgery and of observations made by the Enter and View Authorised Representatives during the visit.

Overall, the Enter and View team found that staff were pleasant, approachable and willing to share information on the services they provide. They observed good interaction between all members of staff working throughout the centre and patients spoken to appeared comfortable in their surroundings. In total, 84% of patients spoken to on the day rated their overall experience of the centre as good or very good. The biggest concern for patients was identified as the waiting times.

Healthwatch Trafford made eight recommendations to the service, these mainly centred on better communication to patients about waiting times, patient information, and raising professional's (internal and external) knowledge and awareness of services and processes. The provider has provided a response to two of the recommendations regarding patient information.

The report identifies a number of instances of good practice: the use of a computerised white screen on wards that is linked to nursing staff’s iPads with the up to date status of each patient; practical encouragement to patients’ in exercising self-help in relation to measurement of height, weight and BMI using freely, available equipment; involvement of Manchester Foundation Trust’s community dental services in supporting all patients to maintain good oral health to enhance positive health outcomes following surgery by reducing the risks of infection; and a new hospital initiative enabling some patients to have their pre-ops undertaken on the same day as their initial consultant appointment.