Lothian NHS Board

Office of the Chair and Chief Executive Waverley Gate 2-4 Waterloo Place Edinburgh EH13EG
www.nhslolhian.scol.nhs.uk

NHSpi
lothian

"

Kezia Dugdale MSP The Scottish Parliament Edinburgh EH991SP Dear Ms Dugdale

Date Our Ref Enquiries to Direct Line

11 October 11, 2011 16435 Complaints Team 0131 5363370

Thank you for your letter of 14 September 2011, received in my office on 20 September 2011, in which you outlined concerns regarding Ward 6 at the Western General Hospital. I passed your letter to our Chief Operating Officer, Mrs Jackie Sansbury, as she has operational management responsibility for the Cancer Services and asked her to investigate this matter and provide me with a detailed report. Mrs Sansbury advised that following an evaluation from a 10 month Bed Occupancy Analysis Study a proposal has been discussed to review the bed compliment in Ward 6 at the Western General Hospital through service redesign. Mrs Sansbury confirms that the breast service will continue to offer and provide specialist care for patients with breast disease. This care provision will continue to be available 7 days per week maintaining our high standards. At present Ward 6 has a bed capacity for eleven in-patients and also provides a day care facility with 6 available trolleys. Ward 6 will not be relocating from its present site. Mrs Sansbury advises that during the study period Ward 6 bed occupancy totaled 83.9% and only 44.2 % of this total was occupied by patients with breast disease. There were only 3 days where patients with breast disease occupied all 11 beds. The average length of stay for in-patients following breast surgery is 2.4 days and 7.5 hours for patients attending the day bed facility. Currently at week-ends the bed occupancy within Ward 6 of patient shaving undergone breast surgery is minimal. Mrs Sansbury advised that it would be anticipated that patients who have undergone breast surgery who require to remain in hospital over a Saturday/Sunday would be cared for in Ward 6 over Saturday morning where their care would continue to be provided by nurses from Ward 6 over the weekend period from Saturday afternoon until Monday morning. At present surgical procedures performed on Friday's are generally day case procedures where patient are discharged home later the same day.

Headquarters Waverley Gate, 2-4 Waterloo Place, Edinburgh EH1 3EG Chair Dr Charles J Winstanley Chief Executive Professor James J Barbour O.B.E. Lothian NHSBoard is the common name of Lothian Health

"

NHS

'rLothian
.-.J

Mrs Sansbury confirms that all patients are offered an extremely comprehensive 16 page information booklet on discharge from Ward 6. This care pathway would continue and the booklet provides information regarding postoperative wound care, exercises and general information with a range of helpful contact numbers for patients and carers. Mrs Sansbury also confirms that there will be no job losses through the proposed breast service redesign.

yours~e:t~ W~
JAMES BARBOUR Chief Executive

, trust that you find this information of help in regard to your: enquiry

t\jv(se.

Y\lC.c.1-o r