Leek NHS Press Release
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Staffordshire Moorlands Primary Care Trust (PCT) today welcomed Minister of State for Health John Hutton and Staffordshire Moorlands MP Charlotte Atkins to Leek Moorlands Hospital. PCT Chairperson George Wiskin and Director of Nursing and Operations Joan Gibson were on hand to meet Mr Hutton and to take him on a tour of the Hospital, which plays a vital role in the delivery of healthcare to the local community.
Mr Hutton visited the Hospital’s Minor Injuries Unit, which is open seven days a week, 365 days a year from 8am to 8pm. Manager Sister Ash shared with Mr Hutton the many expressions of appreciation that the Unit has received. Joan Gibson added that the department also plays a crucial role in providing localised “Out of Hours” cover for the community, and that the PCT had recently submitted a bid to convert it to a full Walk-in Centre in order to enhance local facilities still further.
Sister Ash explained that the current Minor Injuries Unit, which is highly respected in the local community, provides the first point of call for a wide range of conditions such as wounds needing stitches, rashes, ear infections, injuries from farming accidents and sore throats. She told the Minister: “Having a local facility to treat these minor injuries and ailments here in Leek is a tremendous benefit for residents, as they would otherwise need to travel to the Accident and Emergency Unit in Stoke.” The Minor Injuries Unit, which is based at Leek Moorlands Hospital, can be contacted on 01538 487104 for further information and advice.
Mr Hutton then spent time on the Hospital’s Ratcliffe Unit, talking with staff who run the excellent Falls Prevention Programme and observing at first hand the benefits that the programme brings to patients. Staff there were pleased to highlight the level of care and effort that goes into preventing falls in the home. Sister Chris Thompson, who heads the programme, praised the efforts of her team and the Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists and other healthcare specialists who regularly attend the sessions with patients. “We are delighted,” she said, “to have the support of so many colleagues and local organisations, such as Careline and Beat the Cold, in running this important programme. The knowledge that we gain from this work benefits not only those patients who have already suffered falls but also helps us to prevent many more falls in our community.”
Further details about the Falls Prevention Programme are available from Sister Thompson at Leek Moorlands Hospital on 01538 487116.
Mr Hutton said: “The enthusiasm and expertise of all the staff I have met today was plain to see. The Minor Injuries Unit and the Falls Prevention Programme offer a quality service and are a credit to the NHS. I was particularly pleased to hear about how the Hospital is helping supplement Out of Hours services for local patients. Services like the Minor Injuries Unit, which is open well into the evening and at weekends, offer real benefits to patients. It is good to learn that further improvements are planned, I wish the hospital every success in its bid for a Walk-in Centre.”
Following the visit, the Minister travelled a short distance to the Moorlands Medical Centre, Leek, where he met with local GP Dr David Hughes. Dr Hughes chairs the Local Medical Council and is an observer on the PCT’s Professional Executive Committee.
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