Colchester General Hospital, Colchester

General Services Information

Hospital Questions

• How many single rooms are available to NHS patients at this hospital: 135 "These figures include our new £18.75m ward block which opened in 2010 and has in its Childrens Ward 10 side rooms all with ensuite; in its Childrens Acute Referral two side rooms, both with ensuite; and in its Mersea Ward,16 side rooms, all with ensuite.

• Of these how many have an ensuite toilet: 34 34 rooms have a toilet

• Of these how many have an ensuite toilet and shower or bath: 59 59 rooms have a toilet and shower

• Does this hospital operate an accident and emergency unit:

• How many specialist palliative care beds are available at this hospital: 0 None designated at Colchester General Hospital, but there are oncology beds at Essex County Hospital which are used in part for palliative care. We also work closely with St Helena Hospice in Colchester

• Does this hospital have a named private unit/service:

Trust Questions

• Does the Trust treat private patients:

Patient Safety

Trust Questions

• Is there a system for recording operations that resulted in a foreign body being left post surgery:

• What is the reporting system for a foreign body being left post surgery: Serious Incident including Never Events procedure

• Is there a system for recording operations that were cancelled due to missing notes:

• What is the reporting system for operations that were cancelled due to missing notes: Datix incident reporting system

• Is there a system for recording operations that resulted in wrong site surgery taking place:

• What is the reporting system for operations that resulted in wrong site surgery taking place: Serious Incident including Never Events procedure

• During the period 01 April 2010 - 31 March 2011, how many operations resulted in a foreign body being left post surgery: 1

• During the period 01 April 2010 - 31 March 2011, how many operations were cancelled due to missing notes: 0

• During the period 01 April 2010 - 31 March 2011, how many operations resulted in wrong site surgery taking place: 0

• How many incident investigations using a full Root Cause Analysis did were carried out in 2010/11: 135

• What percentage of patient safety incidents resulting in severe harm or death had a full RCA initiated/completed: 31-60%

• What percentage of acute inpatients have a track and trigger warning system in place for the duration of the admission: 91-99%

• What percentage of patients are risk assessed for venous thromboembolism on admission: 91-99%

• Compliant with all relevant NPSA safety alerts issues in 2010/11 (you can find a full list of alerts issued at http://www.nrls.npsa.nhs.uk/resources/?p=3). :

• Does the Trust have a policy for providing educational programmes on using and interpreting clinical indicators: We have educational programmes that support the interpreting of clinical indicators. This would include patient safety training - clinical indicators are reported on a regular basis.

• Does the Trust have a designated member of staff who supports teams in locating and analysing safety and quality data? (support):

• Is safety and quality data available on a central platform and actively disseminated to users:

Infection Control

Trust Questions

• Does the Trust employ an antibiotic pharmacist:

• Does the Trust operate a pre-admission assessment clinic or equivalent system where patients are screened and results returned in advance of the day of admission:

• Elective patient groups screened at the pre-op assessment clinic: All elective surgical and medical All elective surgical and medical except: day case ophthalmology, dental, day case endoscopy of GI tract, bronchoscopy, cystoscopy and hysteroscopy.

• Are all oncology patients screened at the pre-op assessment clinic: YES regular day attenders 6-8 weekly to tie in with treatment regimens

• Are all chemotherapy patients screened at the pre-op assessment clinic: YES 6 weekly to tie in with treatment

• Are all elective neurosurgery patients screened at the pre-op assessment clinic: Not Applicable

• Are all patients with past history of MRSA screened at the pre-op assessment clinic:

• What method of MRSA screening is used when screening at admission: Culture based in 24-48hrs

• On admission, does topical suppression take place immediately: Not routinely, unless MRSA positive

• Does the Trust have at least one accident and emergency unit:

• Are all patients admitted through A&E screened:

• Is screening done according to individual risk assessment: N/A

• Does the Trust have a dedicated isolation ward:

• How many beds does it contain: 13

• Does the Trust have an isolation policy:

• Where medically appropriate, are patients with C Diff isolated in single rooms as a matter of priority: Transferred to isolation unit

• Does the Trust prescribe probiotics to any patient groups as a prophylactic measure to reduce C.difficile infections:

• Does the Trust have a policy to guide the use of metronidazole and vancomycin for C.difficile infected patients:

• Does the Trust routinely isolate all patients with diarrhoea: If suspected as infective in nature or unknown cause with recent antibioitic history.

Stroke Medicine

Hospital Questions

• Does the hsopital have a specialist stroke unit:

• What type of stroke unit does the hospital have: Other Combined acute, providing Hyperacute stroke unit (HASU) and rehabilitation stroke unit.In the 2010/11 organisational audit across the country, we were in the top 25 percentile, making Colchester General Hospital one of the top three hospitals in the East of England region.

• Number of beds in the unit: 32

Trust Questions

• Does the Trust have a specialist stroke unit or units:

• Is the Trust part of a stroke care network:

• How many emergency admissions with a primary diagnosis of stroke (ICD10 codes I60 - I64) did the Trust receive in the financial year (period 01 April 2010 - 31 March 2011): 590

• Of these, what was the number of patients given a Computerised Tomography (CT) scan within 24 hrs of admission: 522

• Is thrombolysis for stroke patients provided 24 hours per day and 7 days a week :

Trauma & Orthopaedics

Trust Questions

• Does the Trust offer a trauma service:

• Does the Trust have a dedicated trauma list available 24 hours a day for the duration of the week, (Sunday to Sunday): There is access 24/7 to a trauma theatre.

• Does the Trust offer an orthopaedics service:

• Do all the Trust's orthopaedic ward/team have a linked geriatric team with whom they have regular meetings at least once a week:

• Does the Trust run a pre-operative patient education session/class for patients to attend prior to Total Knee Replacement (TKR) and Total Hip Replacement (THR)? :

• What is the estimated percentage of all patients that attend the class prior to surgery: 100 Offered to all hip and knee patients at time of booking TCI.

• Does the Trust have a standardised anaesthetic protocol for Total Knee Replacement (TKR) and Total Hip Replacement (THR) patients:

• Estimated percentage of the Trusts total knee replacement (TKR) and total hip replacement (THR) patients walk within 24 hours of surgery: 95 A successful pilot means that patients who have undergone emergency hip replacement surgery are spending six days less in Colchester General Hospital.

• Does the Trust have a specialist orthopaedic physiotherapy service which is available 7 days a week:

• How many patients' discharge's delayed due to lack of physiotherapy services at weekends - estimated figure: 0

• Are patients for total knee replacement (TKR) and total hip replacement (THR) admitted prior to the day of surgery:

• Are patient records routinely recorded using a specific multi-disciplinary team THR/TKR pathway document: Separate documentation for nursing and physios. Kept together in the same location.

• Is criteria-based discharge used:

• Are patients routinely phoned in the first 48 hours after discharge to check on their progress: We attempt to contact all total knee replacement (TKR) and total hip replacement (THR) patients within five days of their discharge.

Paediatrics

Hospital Questions

• Does the hospital have a paediatrics service: Paediatric services also provided from: Halstead Hospital, Clacton Hospital, Harwich Hospital, Primary Care Centre, Colchester, Grinstead Community Centre Colchester

Trust Questions

• Is the Trust's elective paediatric surgery carried out only by designated surgeons with at least six months training in a specialist unit: All surgeons assessed as competent with sufficient numbers performed annually to maintain competence.

• Do the Trust's anaesthetists with responsibility for paediatric anaesthesia participate in at least one paediatric list per week:

• Is a paediatrician on site (SpR or higher) 24 hours per day, 7 days per week:

• Are at least two registered children's nurses on duty 24hours per day in each children's ward:

• Is there a designated facility on site for parents or guardians to stay overnight: Our new £18.75m ward block which opened in 2010 has a new Children's Ward within it. It has beds for parents by the side of the children's bed and a brand-new parent's room. All beds have a window view too.

Palliative Care

Trust Questions

• Does the Trust provide a palliative care service:

• How is specialist palliative care delivered at the hospital: Other (please specify) Hospital based palliative care team that refers to the hospice for specialist palliative care

• Does the hospital's specialist palliative team includes: A consultant in palliative medicine,A palliative care nurse Consultant in Palliative Medicine, 5.8 wte palliative care nurses

• Is the Trust's specialist palliative care team available 24 hrs a day seven days a week: however service is available seven days a week, 9am-5pm

• Are facilities provided to support relatives and carers who wish to stay with a patient in hospital: In some areas

• Does the Trust routinely survey and evaluate the views of patients and bereaved relatives and carers regarding the delivery of care on the end of life programme: In conjunction with the PCT

Maternity Care

Maternity Sites

• Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust - Consultant Led

• How many women gave birth in the unit during the year? (not including home births): 3876 Between 1 April 2010 and 31 March 2011, 3,876 women delivered in the Consultant Unit/Midwife Led units.

• How many babies were born in the unit during the year? (not including home births): 3932 Between 1 April 2010 and 31 March 2011, 3,932 babies were born in the Consultant Unit/Midwife Led units.

• How many women were booked for a home birth: 157

• How many women had a home birth? (not including births at home by accident): 129

• Number of antenatal rooms: 1 1 plus the use of five single side rooms if needed

• Total antenatal beds: 6 6 (+ 5 if required)

• Number of assessment area rooms (for monitoring and / or induction): 2 2 located within the Antenatal Clinic

• Total assessment area beds: 2

• Number of delivery rooms: 8 8 Delivery rooms in Consultant Unit; 1 obstetric theatre; 1 Recovery room; 1 special delivery room to be used as emergency second theatre; 4 in Co-located Midwife led Unit; 2 in Clacton; 2 in Harwich Midwife led units and 1 in Halstead Birthing Unit.

• Number of postnatal rooms: 4 4 Postnatal Rooms plus 5 single rooms as above in Consultant unit, 2 rooms in the Clacton Midwifery led unit, 3 rooms in the Harwich Midwife led unit

• Total postnatal beds: 23 23 + 5 single side rooms as required in consultant unit , 8 in Clacton 4 in each room, 6 in Harwich 4 in one room and 2 side rooms

• Amenity rooms; Are women able to book a single room in advance of their birth: If a woman indicates an interest, they are sent a private patient agreement to pay. A copy is kept in their hospital healthcare records. They are informed that if a single room is required for a clinical reason they may not be able to have one, but will have a bed in a bay of 6 and a single room when next available.

• If women can pay for a single room what is the average cost per night (GBP): 67

• Does the maternity unit have a neonatal intensive care unit: 1 intensive care cot

• Does the maternity unit have a neonatal high dependency unit: NNU/SCBU combined

• Does the maternity unit have a special care baby unit: NNU/SCBU combined

• Security measures - ankle bands for the baby:

• Security measures - cot alarms:

• Security measures - CCTV:

• Security measures - restricted access:

• Pain relief available - bath or shower: Provided by unit

• Pain relief available - birthing pool: Provided by unit

• Pain relief available - birth ball: Provided by women

• Pain relief available - Massage: Provided by women

• Pain relief available - Aromatherapy: Provided by women provided by women, as long as it is not naked flames

• Pain relief available - TENS: Provided by women

• Pain relief available - Epidural: Provided by unit provided by unit in Consultant unit only

• Pain relief available - Mobile epidural: Provided by unit provided by unit in Consultant unit only

• Pain relief available - Entonox (gas and air): Provided by unit

• Pain relief available - Intramuscular injection: Provided by unit

• Other pain relief: Hypnobirth classes for parents to manager labour

• Total number of WTE midwives at the unit in your funded establishment, including vacant posts: 121.66 vacancy = 7.36 taken up by students

• Total number of WTE midwives at the unit as staff in post, including agency and bank staff: 104.14 no agency

• Does the unit have midwives available to provide one-to-one care available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: On site

• Does the unit have midwives available for home births available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: On site YES on call after 5pm / however 1 Group Practice has a midwife on site to go out to attend Home births for that geographical area

• Does the unit have midwives trained and experienced in water birth available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: On site

• Does the unit have a paediatrician available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: On site YES in the Consultant Unit and Co-located Midwife unit. Consultant on call after 5pm and weekends (In addition, there are lower grades on site)

• Does the unit have an obstetrician available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: On site YES in the Consultant Unit and Co-located Midwife unit. Consultant on call after 5pm and weekends (In addition, there are lower grades on site)

• Does the unit have an anaesthetist available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: On site YES in the Consultant Unit and Co-located Midwife unit

• Does the unit have a dedicated obstetric anaesthetist available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: On site YES in the Consultant Unit and Co-located Midwife unit

Trust Questions

• Do all women have a choice about where they receive their antenatal appointments (i.e. at hospital or local health centre):

• Are NHS antenatal classes available (e.g. Parentcraft):

• Available during the daytime (until 5pm): Parent Education is offered in a variety of settings and times to accomodate all women's requirements

• Available in the evenings (after 5pm):

• Available at weekends (Saturday and/or Sunday):

• Available for women only groups:

• Available for other groups:

• Also available for: specific classes for twin or triplet pregnancies

• Are all women routinely offered ultrasound scans:

• Scan 1 available between: 11+ to 13+ weeks

• Scan 2 available between: 18+ to 22+ weeks

Trust Statistics

Trust Questions

• You can view various measures relating to the Trust's performance by clicking the following link: Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust