Patients living in the Tendring area will be able to have their pre-operative assessment closer to home with the launch of a new clinic at Clacton Hospital.
The nurse-led clinics are now running for patients who are due to have general surgery or urological procedures. Usually patients would have to travel to Colchester Hospital for their pre-operative assessment, but the clinics mean they can be seen nearer to their home.
Pre-operative assessment sister (POA sister) Carol Pitchford and healthcare assistant (HCA) Anita Careford
Jane-Ann Urquhart is the transformation lead at East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust. She said: “This is a really great development for patients, as we know it can be difficult travelling to Colchester Hospital when Clacton is on their doorstep. The clinics will also run into the early evening, helping people manage their time around work.”
Pre-operative assessment nurse (POA nurse) Helen Morgan and her first Clacton patient Reginald Smith
Jane-Ann said: “I have been supporting Carol Pitchford, preoperative assessment sister and her team, to ensure everything was in place for the launch.
“We also have a healthcare assistant (HCA) clinic running and this will take place twice a week at Clacton Hospital. These clinics are for patients who do not need to have a nurse-led pre-op assessment, but will still need routine observations and tests such as blood, urine and MRSA, these clinics will also run into the early evening.”
Hospital teams managing appointments for surgery will be able to book patients into the clinics at Clacton Hospital.
Matron for Theatres and Anaesthetics Marlene Ndengu added: “I’m very pleased with the collaboration with the transformation team on this project which has meant better services for ours patients. This would not be possible without the support and work of all in the Surgery, Gastroenterology and Anaesthetics (SGA) division.”
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