How will you improve public transport between the two sites and from remote areas to the hospitals?
We are investigating running a shuttle bus service between the two hospitals for patients, visitors and staff.
We are talking to the local authorities about public transport.
We are looking at the possibility of having an air ambulance in operation at night.
We are also investigating telemedicine which would enable a patient at one hospital to have a consultation with a doctor at the other hospital without having to move. We have appointed two clinicians to lead a programme to increase the way we use telemedicine to provide planned care and emergency care, and reduce the need for patients to travel to hospital.
Will there be enough car parking?
We will need to review car parking as part of these proposals. Royal Shrewsbury Hospital is likely to have more patients who need to stay for extended periods following emergency surgery. Princess Royal Hospital is likely to have more mums and children, who normally stay for a short time in hospital. The average length of stay for children in our hospitals is one night.
We would continue to encourage people to use public transport where possible and we are looking at running a shuttle bus service between the two hospitals.
We are currently working on a Transport and Travel plan which will look at how we can make it easier for everyone to access the care they need. Some ideas we are exploring include providing a shuttle bus to travel between hospital sites, offering more services locally and, where possible, treating patients in their homes. We would welcome your ideas and suggestions on this - please email them to future@sath.nhs.uk
Please see the Looking to the Future Newsletter January 2012 for more information.
How will patients in urgent need of complex treatment be transferred between the two hospitals?
Any patient in urgent need of complex treatment would be transferred by ambulance between the two hospitals.
How long will it take?
An emergency ambulance takes between 15 and 20 minutes to travel between the Princess Royal Hospital and the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.
Have the ambulance service got the skills to take really sick babies or children the extra travel time?
Yes.
We are working with the ambulance services to understand the implications from these proposals on travel time and the care people receive before they get to hospital.
What about the times when there are road accidents or other factors that make it difficult to travel?
If these proposals are implemented then the majority of patients will continue to receive the majority of their care in the same hospital as now. We are also protecting our hospitals from the risk that some of these services would drift out of county in future, resulting in longer travel times for patients.
Together, the PRH and RSH serve a very large geographical catchment area. It includes many sparsely populated rural areas where some people live quite long distances – and travel times – from both hospitals.
Although, after the changes we are proposing, the vast majority of patients would still go the same hospital as now, some of them would need to travel to a different hospital that is further away from where they live.
On average, it takes about 25 to 30 minutes for someone to drive from the RSH to PRH site and vice versa. So, depending on where they live, some patients or visitors would take that additional length of time.
For an emergency 999 ambulance, the average time taken between the two hospitals – depending on traffic conditions – is 15 to 20 minutes.
Ambulance services already plan to take patients to the most appropriate hospital depending on travel conditions, and this will continue to be the case. We are also looking at other options such as extending air ambulance cover including options of flying at night (e.g. illuminated sites in more remote parts of Shropshire and at designated points in Powys).
What is likely to be the additional cost of transport and ambulances following these changes?
Most patients will continue to receive their care at the same hospital as now, so for most journeys to hospital there will be no change from now.
Where changes to services have been proposed, to maintain their safety and keep them secure for the future, the detailed care pathways are currently being developed. During 2011 and 2012 a full business case will be developed for implementation, which will provide more detail of the anticipated costs once the model of care has been defined.
How can I share my views about travel and transport?
We are talking about travel and transport as part of our focus groups. If you are interested in taking part in these focus groups please email the project team via future@sath.nhs.uk