Arrowe Park hospital to shut down private ward





WIRRAL’S main hospital is to shut its private ward by the end of the year, it was revealed last night.

Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, which manages Arrowe Park and Clatterbridge hospitals, has told staff the ward will be closed.

However, the hospital has said it will continue to treat private patients who will be kept in side rooms in wards in the main hospital.

The trust has blamed reduced demand for the private facility – and says many private patients have said they would prefer to be in the main part of the hospital.

However, a former patient, who is opposing the plans to shut the ward, said he was outraged that the trust had not consulted on the plans.

The patient, who asked not to be named, said: “Park Suite has been a real asset for the people of Wirral for many years, and should not be closed down without any discussion.”

Len Richards, chief executive of the trust, said: “Following a review of the services that we provide for private patients, I can confirm that, from January, 2010, these will be transferred from our Park Suite facility into the main Hospital building at Arrowe Park.

“All clinical, nursing and support staff previously based in the Park Suite will be redeployed within the trust.

“Our private patients will continue to receive the highest quality of care and treatment in refurbished side rooms within the main hospital.

“This decision has been made in the light of reduced demand for the Park Suite, which has coincided with the significant investments we have made in refurbishing wards in the main hospital, where many private patients have indicated that they now preferred to be treated, and improved waiting times.”

In the next three years, the trust is due to invest around £30m in its facilities at Arrowe Park hospital.

It also recently secured £900,000 from NHS North West to upgrade all its ward facilities during the next 12 months, and work has already been completed on many of these wards, including ward 14, 20, 21, 24, 25, 26, 27, 30 and 36.

Mr Richards said: “These improvements will mean eliminating mixed sex accommodation in most areas by creating dedicated male and female bays and toilet, bath and shower facilities, upgrading bathroom facilities and making them easier to use.”


THE ECHO

Been in the park suite overnight myself a few years back. And it wasnt exactly anything special. And I wasnt private either!!

First I've heard of it - ain't that a surprise

I wonder if the staff who work there know yet?

It's over by the side car-park, just down from the out-of-hours centre iirc.

I hate the side rooms, isolated and boring. I like the cameradare of the ward. Being able to chat fodder wiv the 'gang' and eavesdrop at ward rounds.

wooooooooooooooooooooooo one less ward to do for meee =]

"Peachy does the Park Suite"... ooo er that sounds ominous!

Its above the eye dept. They moved Occy Health in there a while ago for some reason and they are now back in C Block.

Peach - what band is a phleeb?

2 - thats for a basic grade.. duno if it goes up..

Private patients only get better room service if you ask me. The medical and nursing care is the same so you might as well be on the wards where everyone else is.

I guess not being with the chavs and lowlife that inevitably end up on public wards, be it the patients themselves, or the visitors, and being taken care of by less stressed/overworked staff and who have more interest in their jobs because they are being paid higher wages, for people who are ill and have the money, is a godsend.

I know if I had the cash, I would never use the NHS - free-up the system for other's and recieve better treatment, at the same time, seems like a win-win lol.

If room service is what you want Matt you need Bupa, Arrowe isn't an hotel. Don't get me wrong, I'd love a private room but when the private room is in an NHS hospital you're basically paying for NHS staff doing private work as overtime. If you need treatment you get the treatment that the hospital can provide, and not many Bupa or other private hospitals have the same facilities as NHS hospitals, contrary to popular belief. Be proud of your NHS, but if you want special treatment go ahead and pay for room service.

The far greater majority of medical staff at Private Hospitals are NHS staff on foreigners. Also if an operation at a Private Hospital starts going wrong or gets complicated they dial 999 and you end up at NHS hospital.

The private facility at Arrow Park was to generate extra cash to be spent on NHS patients/facilities - so therefore it is a win-win, win for NHS and its patients, win for private patients, with the added benefit that the private operations are in a better facility than a private hospital and less likely to interrupt an NHS operation if things go wrong, because it is scheduled in.

That would be a very large news for the end of the year 2009 from the hospital. Maybe the medical needs would be affected by the changes. The ward that would be close is a need for those who could just afford the lesser cost's medical treatment.