Multi million pound investments in staff and buildings and an increase in the range of services on offer at East Surrey Hospital were all highlighted by the hospital’s chief executive at the Annual General Meeting on Tuesday (17).
Michael Wilson also praised the hard working staff at the hospital that is run by Surrey & Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust. He added: “We have a challenging year ahead as we move along the path to becoming a Foundation Trust and I am confident we will continue to improve and perform well”.
Patients and staff were joined at the AGM by representatives from the local and county councils and the new clinical commissioning groups. The audience heard that it had been a good year for the Trust, a year in which the organisation moved from delivering very few of the national quality and safety standards to delivering them all.
Mr Wilson said over £3 million pounds had been spent on nursing and midwifery staff and 12 new consultants had been employed. The Emergency Department, Endsocopy and Radiology Departments had all been modernised and work on four new operating theatres was nearing completion.
He added: “Work continues on the new Radiotherapy Unit and this will mean our patients will no longer have to do a 46 mile round trip to Guildford, and will be able to have their treatment closer to home.
“We have also seen a £400,000 investment in the hospital’s new Birthing Unit which now offers women three new homely birthing suites, each with their own birthing pools”.
The audience at the AGM was also told how the Trust has increased the opportunity for patients to give their feedback with the introduction of the Your Care Matters survey. The survey provides detailed and valuable feedback enabling wards, staff and clinical departments to make improvements and celebrate where they have made a difference to a patient’s care.
To find out more about the Trust’s work over the past year follow the link to our annual report.
