Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle Upon Tyne

General hospital information

  • Number of beds: 757
  • % of single rooms: 45%
  • Total parking spaces: N/A
  • Average parking fee per hour: N/A

Address & description

Royal Victoria Infirmary,
Queen Victoria Road, Newcastle Upon Tyne, England, NE1 4LP
Tel: Work 0191 233 6161
Royal Victoria Infirmary

Welcome to the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI). We've been providing healthcare to the communities of Newcastle and the North East for over 250 years. But there's nothing old-fashioned about our services. As part of the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, the healthcare services we provide are among the safest and most advanced in the country, ranging from emergency medicine: the new Level 1 Trauma Centre which will be providing A & E Services from October 2010, our Minor Injuries Unit and Rapid Access Chest Pain Clinic, to our pioneering burns unit and our innovative dermatology unit, the sole provider in the region of the leading edge Mohs micrographic surgery for skin cancer. We also have one of only two “bubble” units in the UK helping infants with severe immune system problems.

The Maternity Department at the RVI is one of the UK's largest, helping to bring over 6,500 babies into the world every year. And with our consultant-led service, you know you're in the safest hands possible however your pregnancy develops.

We have an Acute Stroke Unit staffed by a multi-disciplinary team of experts in the field of stroke medicine who provide dedicated and specialist stroke care for everyone who comes here. We offer rapid and early diagnosis following a suspected stroke using advanced, modern technology including CT scanners so that we can commence the right treatment for you as quickly as possible to help rapid recovery.

The Regional Neurosciences Centre will also be housed at the RVI from autumn 2010. The Centre is one of the top regional units in the UK providing a comprehensive range of specialist tests, treatments and procedures for all types of neurological conditions involving the brain and nervous system. Treatment is available to anyone who lives in and around the North East of England but some highly specialised services are provided for patients from all areas of the UK and also from overseas.

We are the major Regional Burns Treatment Centre for the North East and North Cumbria providing comprehensive, high quality care and support for patients of all ages who have suffered a burns injury and also for their families. We also have specialist intensive care facilities available to treat patients with severe and complex burn injuries.

Our Falls and Syncope Service, the largest of its kind in Europe, helps to relieve the stress and discomfort of balance, black-out and dizziness, so that our patients can continue to enjoy mobile and independent lives.

The Ophthalmology department has one of the UK's largest cataract treatment centres, but also offers the most advanced treatments of age-related eye problems such as ARMD (Age Related Macular Degeneration), the major cause of blindness in the UK.

Exciting changes are happening in autumn 2010 at the RVI. The Great North Children’s Hospital is due to be completed - and this will be the first time almost all children’s services for the North East will be under one roof - housed in a state of the art building. Especially designed to meet the needs of modern medicine, The Great North Children’s Hospital will provide welcoming surroundings appropriate for children, teenagers and their families and carers. More paediatric services will be provided than any other hospital outside of London – this includes specialist services as well as general healthcare services for children and young people.

Accident and Emergency services will transfer from out-dated accommodation at Newcastle General Hospital in autumn 2010 to brand new state of the art facilities the Royal Victoria Infirmary. The RVI is well placed to be a regional trauma centre with the facilities and skills to treat major injury and trauma cases, no matter what the complexity.

The New Victoria Wing at the RVI has welcomed patients since 2009. The new wing is six storeys high and has a floor area equivalent to five football pitches! The New Victoria Wing is at the heart of the hospital and currently provides access to all departments at the RVI.

Quality Matters

In 2010 for the 10th consecutive year The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust won the prestigious CHKS Top Hospital award and was one of only five trusts in the UK to do so. No matter why you come to Newcastle Hospitals our staff are all dedicated to giving you healthcare at its very best – with a personal touch! For further information or to contact us, please visit: www.newcastle-hospitals.org.uk

* this profile text was provided by The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

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Services at Royal Victoria Infirmary

General Services Information

Hospital Questions

  • How many single rooms are available to NHS patients at this hospital: 306
  • Of these how many have an ensuite toilet: 224
  • Of these how many have an ensuite toilet and shower or bath: 224
  • Does this hospital operate an accident and emergency unit: Yes
  • How many specialist palliative care beds are available at this hospital: 0
  • Does this hospital have a named private unit/service: Yes
  • What is the name of the private unit/service: Park Suite
  • How many beds are available within the private unit/service: 6
  • How many single rooms are available within the private unit/service: 6
  • Of these, how many have an ensuite toilet: 6
  • Of these, how many have an ensuite toilet and shower or bath: 6
  • Direct telephone number for the private unit: 01912825017

Trust Questions

  • Does the Trust treat private patients: Yes

Patient Safety

Trust Questions

  • Is there a system for recording operations that resulted in a foreign body being left post surgery: Yes
  • What is the reporting system for a foreign body being left post surgery: Datix web incident reproting
  • Is there a system for recording operations that were cancelled due to missing notes: Yes
  • What is the reporting system for operations that were cancelled due to missing notes: Datix web incident reporting system
  • Is there a system for recording operations that resulted in wrong site surgery taking place: Yes
  • What is the reporting system for operations that resulted in wrong site surgery taking place: Datix web incident reporting system
  • During the period 01 April 2010 - 31 March 2011, how many operations resulted in a foreign body being left post surgery: 0
  • During the period 01 April 2010 - 31 March 2011, how many operations were cancelled due to missing notes: 2
  • 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: 7770
  • What percentage of patient safety incidents resulting in severe harm or death had a full RCA initiated/completed: 100%
  • What percentage of acute inpatients have a track and trigger warning system in place for the duration of the admission: 100% commentswith the exception of critical care areas, theatres and recovery and coronary care(Freeman Hospital)
  • 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). : Yes
  • Does the Trust have a policy for providing educational programmes on using and interpreting clinical indicators: Yes
  • Does the Trust have a designated member of staff who supports teams in locating and analysing safety and quality data? (support): Yes
  • Is safety and quality data available on a central platform and actively disseminated to users: Yes

Infection Control

Trust Questions

  • Does the Trust employ an antibiotic pharmacist: Yes
  • 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: Yes
  • Elective patient groups screened at the pre-op assessment clinic: All elective surgical and medical
  • Are all oncology patients screened at the pre-op assessment clinic: YES
  • Are all chemotherapy patients screened at the pre-op assessment clinic: YES
  • Are all elective neurosurgery patients screened at the pre-op assessment clinic: YES
  • Are all patients with past history of MRSA screened at the pre-op assessment clinic: Yes
  • What method of MRSA screening is used when screening at admission: Culture based in 24-48hrs
  • On admission, does topical suppression take place immediately: No
  • Does the Trust have at least one accident and emergency unit: Yes
  • Are all patients admitted through A&E screened: Yes
  • Is screening done according to individual risk assessment: No
  • Does the Trust have a dedicated isolation ward: Yes
  • How many beds does it contain: 18
  • Does the Trust have an isolation policy: Yes
  • Where medically appropriate, are patients with C Diff isolated in single rooms as a matter of priority: Yes
  • Does the Trust have a policy to guide the use of metronidazole and vancomycin for C.difficile infected patients: Yes
  • Does the Trust routinely isolate all patients with diarrhoea: Yes

Stroke Medicine

Hospital Questions

  • Does the hsopital have a specialist stroke unit: Yes
  • What type of stroke unit does the hospital have: Hyperacute stroke unit (HASU)
  • Number of beds in the unit: 26

Trust Questions

  • Does the Trust have a specialist stroke unit or units: Yes
  • Is the Trust part of a stroke care network: Yes
  • Details: The North East Cardiovascular 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): 692
  • Of these, what was the number of patients given a Computerised Tomography (CT) scan within 24 hrs of admission: 664
  • Is thrombolysis for stroke patients provided 24 hours per day and 7 days a week : Yes
  • Are there any formal arrangements with neighbouring hospitals for the emergency transfer of stroke patients who would benefit from thrombolytic treatment: Yes
  • These arrangements are with: North East SHA

Trauma & Orthopaedics

Trust Questions

  • Does the Trust offer a trauma service: Yes
  • Does the Trust have a dedicated trauma list available 24 hours a day for the duration of the week, (Sunday to Sunday): Yes
  • Does the Trust offer an orthopaedics service: Yes
  • Do all the Trust's orthopaedic ward/team have a linked geriatric team with whom they have regular meetings at least once a week: Yes
  • 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)? : Yes
  • What is the estimated percentage of all patients that attend the class prior to surgery: 80
  • Does the Trust have a standardised anaesthetic protocol for Total Knee Replacement (TKR) and Total Hip Replacement (THR) patients: No commentsHowever we do have a standardised protocol for enhanced recovery patients
  • Estimated percentage of the Trusts total knee replacement (TKR) and total hip replacement (THR) patients walk within 24 hours of surgery: 100
  • Does the Trust have a specialist orthopaedic physiotherapy service which is available 7 days a week: Yes
  • 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: Yes
  • What is the principle reason for patients not being admitted on the day of surgery: patients are as DOSA unless exceptional circumstances where there is a clinical need e.g co morbidities
  • Are patient records routinely recorded using a specific multi-disciplinary team THR/TKR pathway document: Yes
  • Is this data used to monitor compliance with the agreed pathway: Yes
  • Is criteria-based discharge used: Yes
  • Are patients routinely phoned in the first 48 hours after discharge to check on their progress: Yes

Paediatrics

Hospital Questions

  • Does the hospital have a paediatrics service: Yes

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: Yes
  • Do the Trust's anaesthetists with responsibility for paediatric anaesthesia participate in at least one paediatric list per week: Yes
  • Is a paediatrician on site (SpR or higher) 24 hours per day, 7 days per week: Yes commentsRVI and FH site only
  • Are at least two registered children's nurses on duty 24hours per day in each children's ward: Yes
  • Is there a designated facility on site for parents or guardians to stay overnight: Yes

Palliative Care

Trust Questions

  • Does the Trust provide a palliative care service: Yes
  • How is specialist palliative care delivered at the hospital: A multi-disciplinary specialist palliative care team commentscovers community and acute
  • Does the hospital's specialist palliative team includes: A consultant in palliative medicine,A palliative care nurse,Other (please specify) commentstherapists and social work
  • Is the Trust's specialist palliative care team available 24 hrs a day seven days a week: No
  • Are facilities provided to support relatives and carers who wish to stay with a patient in hospital: Yes commentsopportunities are available for relatives to be able to stay if needed
  • 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: No

Maternity Care

Maternity Sites

  • Royal Victoria Infirmary - Midwife Led
  • How many women gave birth in the unit during the year? (not including home births): 3905
  • How many babies were born in the unit during the year? (not including home births): 3905
  • How many women were booked for a home birth: 50
  • How many women had a home birth? (not including births at home by accident): 35
  • Number of antenatal rooms: 0
  • Total antenatal beds: 0
  • Number of assessment area rooms (for monitoring and / or induction): 0
  • Total assessment area beds: 0
  • Number of delivery rooms: 12
  • Total delivery beds: 12
  • Number of postnatal rooms: 12
  • Total postnatal beds: 12
  • Number of rooms in obstetric high dependency unit: 0
  • Total obstetric high dependency beds: 0
  • Number of single rooms used for both delivery and postnatal care (labour, delivery, recovery and postnatal, or LDRP, rooms): 12
  • Amenity rooms; Are women able to book a single room in advance of their birth: Yes
  • Does the maternity unit have a neonatal intensive care unit: No
  • Does the maternity unit have a neonatal high dependency unit: No
  • Does the maternity unit have a special care baby unit: No
  • Security measures - ankle bands for the baby: Yes
  • Security measures - cot alarms: No
  • Security measures - CCTV: Yes
  • Security measures - restricted access: Yes
  • Other security measures: not applicable
  • Pain relief available - bath or shower: Provided by unit
  • Pain relief available - birthing pool: Provided by unit
  • Pain relief available - birth ball: Provided by unit
  • Pain relief available - Massage: Not available
  • Pain relief available - Aromatherapy: Not available
  • Pain relief available - TENS: Provided by women
  • Pain relief available - Epidural: Not available
  • Pain relief available - Mobile epidural: Not available
  • Pain relief available - Entonox (gas and air): Provided by unit
  • Pain relief available - Intramuscular injection: Provided by unit
  • Other pain relief: not applicable
  • 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 call
  • 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
  • Does the unit have an obstetrician available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: On site
  • Does the unit have an anaesthetist available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: No
  • Does the unit have a dedicated obstetric anaesthetist available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: No
  • Royal Victoria Infirmary - Consultant Led
  • How many women gave birth in the unit during the year? (not including home births): 2950
  • How many babies were born in the unit during the year? (not including home births): 3094
  • How many women were booked for a home birth: 0
  • How many women had a home birth? (not including births at home by accident): 0
  • Number of antenatal rooms: 5
  • Total antenatal beds: 14
  • Number of assessment area rooms (for monitoring and / or induction): 2
  • Total assessment area beds: 8
  • Number of delivery rooms: 13
  • Total delivery beds: 13
  • Number of postnatal rooms: 18
  • Total postnatal beds: 48
  • Number of rooms in obstetric high dependency unit: 1
  • Total obstetric high dependency beds: 3
  • Number of single rooms used for both delivery and postnatal care (labour, delivery, recovery and postnatal, or LDRP, rooms): 0
  • Amenity rooms; Are women able to book a single room in advance of their birth: No
  • Does the maternity unit have a neonatal intensive care unit: Yes
  • Does the maternity unit have a neonatal high dependency unit: Yes
  • Does the maternity unit have a special care baby unit: Yes
  • Security measures - ankle bands for the baby: Yes
  • Security measures - cot alarms: No
  • Security measures - CCTV: Yes
  • Security measures - restricted access: Yes
  • Other security measures: not applicable
  • Pain relief available - bath or shower: Provided by unit
  • Pain relief available - birthing pool: Provided by unit
  • Pain relief available - birth ball: Provided by unit
  • Pain relief available - Massage: Not available
  • Pain relief available - Aromatherapy: Not available
  • Pain relief available - TENS: Provided by women
  • Pain relief available - Epidural: Provided by unit
  • Pain relief available - Mobile epidural: Not available
  • Pain relief available - Entonox (gas and air): Provided by unit
  • Pain relief available - Intramuscular injection: Provided by unit
  • Other pain relief: not applicable
  • Total number of WTE midwives at the unit in your funded establishment, including vacant posts: 218.16
  • Total number of WTE midwives at the unit as staff in post, including agency and bank staff: 204.28
  • 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: No
  • 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
  • Does the unit have an obstetrician available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: On site
  • Does the unit have an anaesthetist available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: On site
  • Does the unit have a dedicated obstetric anaesthetist available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: On site

Trust Questions

  • Do all women have a choice about where they receive their antenatal appointments (i.e. at hospital or local health centre): Yes
  • Are NHS antenatal classes available (e.g. Parentcraft): Yes
  • Available during the daytime (until 5pm): Yes
  • Available in the evenings (after 5pm): Yes
  • Available at weekends (Saturday and/or Sunday): Yes
  • Available for women only groups: Yes
  • Available for other groups: Yes
  • Also available for: Teenagers, vulnerable women with misuse problems and 1:1 for parents who are to give birth to baby with abnormality.
  • Are all women routinely offered ultrasound scans: Yes
  • Scan 1 available between: 11-13+6
  • Scan 2 available between: 19-21

Trust Statistics

Trust Questions

Consultants at Royal Victoria Infirmary

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