About the Trust
Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust provides a comprehensive range of efficient, high quality healthcare services from two main hospital sites – Arrowe Park Hospital in Upton and Clatterbridge Hospital in Bebington. It also provides x-ray services and some out patient services at Victoria Central Hospital, Wallasey and St Catherine’s Community Hospital in Birkenhead. It is one of the biggest and busiest acute trusts in the North West, serving a population of 400,000 across Wirral. Ellesmere Port and Neston with a staff of nearly 6,000.
Trust Governance Structure
Arrowe Park Hospital, Upton, offers a full range of emergency and acute services for adults and children, including maternity and level 3 neonatal services. Specialist services provided at this hospital include ENT. Ophthalmology, Oral and Maxillo-facial surgery, Rheumatology and Urology.
Clatterbridge Hospital, Bebington, is home to planned surgical and orthopaedic services, and some specialist rehabilitation services including the Wirral Neuro-Rehabilitation Unit and a Stroke Rehabilitation Unit.In-patient Dermatology Services and Breast Care Services are also provided from this hospital site.
In May 2008, for the second year running, the Trust was named as one of the UK’s ‘Top 40’ Hospitals by CHKS, an independent benchmarking company. In November the Trust was named ‘Best Large Acute Hospital’ outside London in the Dr Foster Hospital Guide 2008. For both of these accolades the Trust was assessed against a number of key indicators including MRSA cases, mortality rates and waiting times.
In 2008 the Trust’s Maternity Service was named as one of the ‘best performing’ in the country by the Healthcare Commission. It is also one of a small number nationally to achieve Level 3 in the Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts, demonstrating a high commitment to patient safety.
Over the past three years, the Trust’s Jellybean Kids Appeal, which exists to improve the lives of sick children on the Wirral, has raised over £1.4 million to achieve three of its four ‘Wishes’. These have included a brand new Children’s A&E department, a re-furbished Neo-natal Unit and Parents’ Accommodation – all at Arrowe Park Hospital.
In the latest Patient Environment Action Team (PEAT) inspections, the Trust received ‘Excellent’ scores for the environment at both sites, ‘Good’ scores for food at both sites, ‘Excellent’ for Patient Privacy & Dignity at Clatterbridge and ‘Good’ at Arrowe Park. The Trust’s Catering Team also won a Healthy Eating award at the 2008 North West Development Agency’s Food North West Awards.
The Trust has over 6,000 Public Members and more than 5,000 Staff Members of the NHS Foundation Trust. They are represented on the Trust’s Assembly of Governors by 19 elected Public Governors and 5 elected Staff Governors who, in addition to 13 nominated Stakeholder Governors, meet 6 times a year in public.
The Trust is about to embark on an ambitious 3 year capital programme which will include the redevelopment of the Duchess of Westminster Wing at Arrowe Park Hospital to accommodate all women’s and children’s services under one roof and to upgrade 2 surgical wards to provide more ensuite single rooms and smaller bed bays. Costing more than £10million, work on these schemes will start in May 2009.