West Cornwall Hospital, Penzance

This hospital is part of Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust

General hospital information

  • Number of beds: 61
  • % of single rooms: 13%
  • Total parking spaces: 27
  • Average parking fee per hour: £1.04

Address & description

West Cornwall Hospital,
St Clare Street, Penzance, England, TR18 2PF
Tel: Work 01736 874 000
West Cornwall Hospital

This is a vibrant local hospital providing high quality, safe services to the population of West Cornwall which is being further developed as an acute diagnostic and treatment hospital. This has begun with major projects underway to create a new surgical treatment unit and to expand the hospital’s renal dialysis unit. The Casualty Unit is managed as part of the Royal Cornwall Hospital NHS Trust Emergency Department which sets and oversees standards. There is an experienced doctor within the unit between the hours of 9 amand 11 pm.Outside these hours the first point of contact is a nurse practitioner supported by telephone advice from the specialist doctors at the Emergency Department at the Royal Cornwall Hospital. Across the Trust, reducing the risk of hospital associated infection remains the top priority. Last year saw a remarkable turnaround in performance across the Trust. Our hospitals are now among the top Trusts in the country with low levels of MRSA and Clostridium Difficile infections. During 2009/10 MRSA bloodstream infections fell by 84% from 44 to 7 and Clostridium Difficile infections feel by 57% from 131 to 56.

The Trust has teaching hospitals status as part of the Peninsula Medical School. Keeping at the forefront medical advances, the Trust has led developments in many areas, and is committed to maximising the range of specialist care that can be offered locally.

* this profile text was provided by Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust

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Services at West Cornwall Hospital

General Services Information

Hospital Questions

  • How many single rooms are available to NHS patients at this hospital: 4
  • Of these how many have an ensuite toilet: 1
  • Of these how many have an ensuite toilet and shower or bath: 1
  • 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: No

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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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: 5
  • During the period 01 April 2010 - 31 March 2011, how many operations resulted in wrong site surgery taking place: 2
  • How many incident investigations using a full Root Cause Analysis did were carried out in 2010/11: 50
  • 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%
  • 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: No
  • Does the Trust have a designated member of staff who supports teams in locating and analysing safety and quality data? (support): Yes commentsquality, safety and Compliance department
  • 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 other
  • 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: Not Applicable
  • 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: Yes
  • Does the Trust have at least one accident and emergency unit: Yes
  • Are all patients admitted through A&E screened: No
  • Is screening done according to individual risk assessment: No
  • Does the Trust have a dedicated isolation ward: Yes
  • How many beds does it contain: 12
  • 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: No

Trust Questions

  • Does the Trust have a specialist stroke unit or units: Yes
  • Is the Trust part of a stroke care network: Yes
  • Details: Peninsula Stroke
  • 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): 668 commentsFig's exclude I60's & I62's as the information avaliable follows this critrea for the National Stroke Audit which excludes these codes.
  • Of these, what was the number of patients given a Computerised Tomography (CT) scan within 24 hrs of admission: 646 commentsFig's exclude I60's & I62's as the information avaliable follows this critrea for the National Stroke Audit which excludes these codes.
  • 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: No

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)? : No
  • Does the Trust have a standardised anaesthetic protocol for Total Knee Replacement (TKR) and Total Hip Replacement (THR) patients: No
  • Not able to put a figure on the percentage of the Trusts total knee replacement (TKR) and total hip replacement (THR) patients walk within 24 hours of surgery: Yes
  • Does the Trust have a specialist orthopaedic physiotherapy service which is available 7 days a week: Yes commentslimited at weekend
  • Not able to put a figure Patients' discharge delayed due to lack of physiotherapy services at weekends: Yes
  • Are patients for total knee replacement (TKR) and total hip replacement (THR) admitted prior to the day of surgery: No
  • Are patient records routinely recorded using a specific multi-disciplinary team THR/TKR pathway document: No
  • Is criteria-based discharge used: No
  • Are patients routinely phoned in the first 48 hours after discharge to check on their progress: No

Paediatrics

Hospital Questions

  • Does the hospital have a paediatrics service: No

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
  • 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
  • Does the hospital's specialist palliative team includes: A consultant in palliative medicine
  • Is the Trust's specialist palliative care team available 24 hrs a day seven days a week: Yes
  • Are facilities provided to support relatives and carers who wish to stay with a patient in hospital: Yes
  • 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: Yes

Maternity Care

Maternity Sites

  • St Mary's Hospital Isles of Scilly - Midwife Led
  • How many women gave birth in the unit during the year? (not including home births): 4
  • How many babies were born in the unit during the year? (not including home births): 4
  • Number of antenatal rooms: 0
  • Total antenatal beds: 0
  • Number of assessment area rooms (for monitoring and / or induction): 1
  • Total assessment area beds: 1
  • Number of delivery rooms: 1
  • Total delivery beds: 1
  • Number of postnatal rooms: 0
  • Total postnatal beds: 0
  • 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): 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: 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: No
  • Security measures - cot alarms: No
  • Security measures - CCTV: Yes
  • Security measures - restricted access: Yes
  • Pain relief available - bath or shower: Provided by unit
  • Pain relief available - birthing pool: Not available
  • Pain relief available - birth ball: Provided by women
  • Pain relief available - Aromatherapy: Provided by women
  • Pain relief available - TENS: Provided by unit
  • Pain relief available - Epidural: Not available
  • Pain relief available - Mobile epidural: Not available
  • Pain relief available - Intramuscular injection: Provided by unit
  • Total number of WTE midwives at the unit in your funded establishment, including vacant posts: 0.6
  • Total number of WTE midwives at the unit as staff in post, including agency and bank staff: 0.6
  • Does the unit have midwives available to provide one-to-one care available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: On call
  • 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 call
  • Does the unit have a paediatrician available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: On call
  • Does the unit have an obstetrician available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: On call
  • 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
  • St Austell Community Hospital - Midwife Led
  • How many women gave birth in the unit during the year? (not including home births): 332
  • How many babies were born in the unit during the year? (not including home births): 332
  • Number of antenatal rooms: 0
  • Total antenatal beds: 0
  • Number of assessment area rooms (for monitoring and / or induction): 2
  • Total assessment area beds: 2
  • Number of delivery rooms: 2
  • Total delivery beds: 2
  • Number of postnatal rooms: 1
  • Total postnatal beds: 3
  • 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): 2
  • 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: 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: No
  • Security measures - cot alarms: No
  • Security measures - CCTV: Yes
  • Security measures - restricted access: Yes
  • 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 - Aromatherapy: Provided by women
  • Pain relief available - TENS: Provided by unit
  • Pain relief available - Epidural: Not available
  • Pain relief available - Mobile epidural: Not available
  • Pain relief available - Intramuscular injection: Provided by unit
  • 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: No
  • Does the unit have an obstetrician available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: No
  • 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
  • Helston Community Hospital - Midwife Led
  • How many women gave birth in the unit during the year? (not including home births): 72
  • How many babies were born in the unit during the year? (not including home births): 72
  • Number of antenatal rooms: 0
  • Total antenatal beds: 0
  • Number of assessment area rooms (for monitoring and / or induction): 1
  • Total assessment area beds: 1
  • Number of delivery rooms: 1
  • Total delivery beds: 1
  • Number of postnatal rooms: 0
  • Total postnatal beds: 0
  • 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): 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: 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: No
  • Security measures - cot alarms: No
  • Security measures - CCTV: Yes
  • Security measures - restricted access: Yes
  • Pain relief available - bath or shower: Provided by unit
  • Pain relief available - birthing pool: Not available
  • Pain relief available - birth ball: Provided by women
  • Pain relief available - Aromatherapy: Provided by women
  • Pain relief available - TENS: Provided by unit
  • Pain relief available - Epidural: Not available
  • Pain relief available - Mobile epidural: Not available
  • Pain relief available - Intramuscular injection: Provided by unit
  • Does the unit have midwives available to provide one-to-one care available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: On call
  • 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 call
  • Does the unit have a paediatrician available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: No
  • Does the unit have an obstetrician available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: No
  • 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 Cornwall Hospital - Consultant Led
  • How many women gave birth in the unit during the year? (not including home births): 3837
  • How many babies were born in the unit during the year? (not including home births): 3908
  • How many women were booked for a home birth: 295
  • How many women had a home birth? (not including births at home by accident): 182
  • Number of antenatal rooms: 5
  • Total antenatal beds: 12
  • Number of assessment area rooms (for monitoring and / or induction): 2
  • Total assessment area beds: 4
  • Number of delivery rooms: 9
  • Total delivery beds: 9
  • Number of postnatal rooms: 13
  • Total postnatal beds: 25
  • Number of rooms in obstetric high dependency unit: 3
  • 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: Yes
  • If women can pay for a single room what is the average cost per night (GBP): 80
  • 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: No
  • Security measures - ankle bands for the baby: No commentspatient id bands only
  • Security measures - cot alarms: No
  • Security measures - CCTV: Yes
  • Security measures - restricted access: Yes
  • Pain relief available - bath or shower: Provided by unit
  • Pain relief available - birthing pool: Not available
  • Pain relief available - birth ball: Provided by women
  • Pain relief available - Massage: Provided by women
  • Pain relief available - Aromatherapy: Provided by women
  • Pain relief available - TENS: Provided by unit
  • 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
  • Total number of WTE midwives at the unit in your funded establishment, including vacant posts: 139
  • Total number of WTE midwives at the unit as staff in post, including agency and bank staff: 200
  • 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: No
  • 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): No
  • Available for women only groups: Yes
  • Available for other groups: Yes
  • Also available for: bespoke teenage pregnancy
  • Are all women routinely offered ultrasound scans: Yes
  • Scan 1 available between: 11-14 weeks
  • Scan 2 available between: 19-20weeks

Trust Statistics

Trust Questions

Consultants at West Cornwall Hospital

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