A 14-week public consultation has taken place involving up to 2,000 patients in the proposed development of a new centre of excellence for inpatient orthopaedic surgery at Central Middlesex Hospital.
The North West London Acute Provider Collaborative, comprised of the four acute NHS trusts in north west London, has suggested combining services – primarily hip and knee replacements – into a dedicated site for orthopaedic surgery which is separate from emergency care services.
The trusts have been working closely with the North West London integrated care board, inviting patients and members of the public to share their views on this proposal. The independent research agency Verve Communications has completed an evaluation of the feedback which has now been published and will motivate the project’s next steps.
It was revealed that the majority of participants held positive views for the proposed elective orthopaedic centre and hoped it would reduce wait times, whilst others highlighted the convenience of having all their treatment in one place at local hospitals.
During the consultation process, the two main concerns raised related to travel to and from the proposed site of Central Middlesex Hospital for patients, staff and visitors – along with concerns about at-home services for people following discharge.
Community organisations worked with the ICS to recruit people to take part in focus groups and one-to-one interviews, focussing on increasing representation of the underrepresented groups involved in the consultation. These groups consisted of elderly, disabled, black, ethnic patients for whom English is a second language as well as patients from deprived areas.
The consultation report available online provides a detailed summary of the activities and overall feedback by borough.
