Vascular services: You said, we did
Patients want more treatments, such as bandage changing, to be done closer to home.
Source of feedback: Multiple
Programme intention/response
Equal access and care will be provided across all of the hospital sites across the network (where it is safe to do so).
Patients want day case procedures at local hospitals.
Source of feedback: 2019 vascular patients
Programme intention/response
The new model was designed to make it possible for day case procedures to be available at a patient’s local hospital site.
Patients are willing to travel to specialist services in order to access better quality, joined up services in one centre.
Source of feedback: Multiple
Programme intention/response
This is the central consideration in the new model. The arterial centre will undertake all complex surgery requiring an overnight stay – with all of the consultant surgeons, support staff and resources offering a single high-quality service centrally. This may require more travel for some patients.
Communication between clinicians is essential.
Source of feedback: Multiple
Programme intention/response
Vascular staff, including consultants, will be part of a single network covering all of the hospitals, with a single multidisciplinary team (MDT) meeting to discuss a patient’s treatment need.
Services need to be mindful that people with vascular conditions often have other long-term conditions requiring treatment from multiple specialties.
Source of feedback: 2023 vascular patients
Programme intention/response
The programme has involved all interdependent service areas in the formulation of the business case and the new network model specifies a number of specialties that are to be involved in the network and summarises the recommendations and standards for the Vascular Network in terms of general services at all of the hospital sites making up the Network. This includes renal, stroke services, diabetes, cardiac and rehabilitation services.
All services in the network, whether that be in community or in hospital should be connected. Preferably with regular meetings with all staff that a patient comes in to contact with but, at the very least, with access to each other’s notes and shared patient records.
Source of feedback: Multiple
Programme intention/response
The new network model requires that all clinicians involved with the care and treatment of vascular surgical patients will attend vascular multi-disciplinary team meetings on a weekly basis. This will include surgeons, interventional radiologists, anaesthetists, vascular nurse specialists and clinical vascular scientists.
Travel to Preston and parking for patients and visitors should be justified or mitigated against, especially for those with mobility issues or with low income.
Source of feedback: 2025 engagement
Programme intention/response
Opportunities have been identified to mitigate the risk of patient travel and parking as part of the proposed implementation. These include (but are not limited to):
- using the Patient Transport Service if the patient meets the eligibility rules for planned surgery
- some people can claim back travel costs if they are on a low income or certain benefits
- patients coming for surgery at the elective surgical unit can use the drop-off point
The Trust is also looking at parking capacity and options to manage increased demand.
Best practice operational procedures should be adopted from ELHT.
Source of feedback: 2025 engagement
Programme intention/response
Doctors, nurses and other clinical staff from both Trusts have been involved in developing the best protocols and pathways for patients. The majority of these are taken from national guidance.
The capacity at LTH needs to be able to meet the demand created by the additional patients from ELHT.
Source of feedback: 2025 engagement
Programme intention/response
Significant investment is occurring within LTH to support the capacity required for the demand. For example, a new specialist ‘hybrid’ theatre is being commissioned at Royal Preston Hospital, as well as new staff being recruited.
There should be no impact on waiting times.
Source of feedback: 2025 engagement
Programme intention/response
Both Trusts continually strive to ensure that waiting times are as short as possible. This is a key objective of the operational teams.
Staffing should be arranged to ensure relationships between staff and patients are consistent.
Source of feedback: 2025 engagement
Programme intention/response
The proposal is to create a single networked service. Staff will be employed centrally by LTH and work across the partner Trusts - where possible consistent relationships between staff and patients will continue.
Full disclosure, openness and transparency about the decision-making process will be required during implementation.
Source of feedback: 2025 engagement
Programme intention/response
The Pre-Consultation Business case is a public document. It describes fully the process for proposing this networked service option, the steps that were taken and the stakeholders, including doctors, nurses, managers and members of the public who were involved in the decision making. The process has been continually reviewed by independent organisations such as the North West Clinical Senate and follows a thorough and transparent national process.
