Health services on the move to Larbert

Jun 29 2011 by Kaiya Marjoribanks, Stirling Observer Wednesday

NHS FORTH Valley is busy gearing up for the final transfer of services to the new Forth Valley Royal Hospital at Larbert.

This involves making arrangements to move up to 330 inpatients and 1700 staff, and equipment ranging from a CT scanner to hundreds of computers.

NHS Forth Valley General Manager for Facilities, David McPherson said: “This is the culmination of nearly two years of planning and builds on the success and learning of the service moves last year from Falkirk and District Royal Infirmary to the new acute hospital.

“We discovered for example, that the most efficient method when transferring clinical services and offices was to load computers last, so they could be networked as soon as possible when they were unloaded. Tips like this save time and mean the process is easier for everyone.”

NHS Forth Valley is working closely with the Scottish Ambulance Service to synchronise the transfer of patients and ensure their journey to the new hospital is as smooth as possible.

This includes using mobile intensive care units for the most seriously ill adults and babies.

Clinical staff are helping triage patients and extra monitoring is making sure the sickest are transferred first.

NHS Forth Valley also says staff are working closely with local authority partners to provide continuity of services, particularly for the elderly.

NHS Forth Valley chief executive Fiona Mackenzie has praised the amount of work being undertaken by staff to make the move as comfortable for patients as possible.

She said: “This has been an enormous logistical exercise made easier by superb co-operation from our local authority partners, the Scottish Ambulance Service and our GPs. I have been particularly impressed by the way people have worked together to plan and co-ordinate these major changes.”

As well as using ambulances, NHS Forth Valley has employed the same removal company contracted for the move last year from Falkirk and District Royal Infirmary to Larbert, and a fleet of vehicles will shuttle between the Stirling and Larbert sites over a two week period.

Office functions will shift first followed in the week beginning Monday July 11 by women and children's services, critical care, cardiology, medical and surgical wards and radiology.

The final moves will also see laboratory services, currently at Stirling Royal Infirmary and Falkirk Community Hospital, centralised at Larbert .

At 8am on Tuesday July 12 accident and emergency services at Stirling Royal Infirmary will switch to a new purpose-built Emergency Department at Forth Valley Royal Hospital and a new Minor Injury Unit will open in Stirling, where the current SRI will become a community hospital.

The Minor Injury Unit and GP Out Of Hours service currently at Falkirk Community Hospital will also be transferring to the new hospital at Larbert.

A guide to the health service changes is being delivered to every household in Forth Valley. The eight-page guide started dropping through letterboxes this week.

Fiona Mackenzie said: “This invaluable guide will let people know what is being provided where, and also has useful telephone numbers for specific wards, transport information and details of the health services which will continue to be delivered locally at the four community hospitals in Stirling, Falkirk, Clackmannanshire and Bo'ness.”

The guides will be delivered over seven days so local people across Forth Valley are aware of the planned changes before services move from Stirling to Larbert between July 11-18.