Departments

The department is run by fully qualified Emergency Nurse Practitioners (ENPs) who book in, take history, diagnose, treat, discharge, and/or if necessary refer directly on to appropriate speciality (i.e. Maxillary Facial Surgeon, ENT, hand Surgeon, Medics, or A&E).

The League of Friends is encouraging:

• ENPs to be trained in treating minor illnesses and are willing to help fund this.
• The department to be open from 8.30 to 20.30 seven days a week with at least one ENP on duty.
• Two ENPs on duty to cover regular busy periods, especially 8.30 to 12.30 on Monday and Tuesday mornings.
• Additional post of a part time Health Care Assistant (HCA) approximately ten hours per week to provide sufficient capacity for Housekeeping and Administration duties.
• Training of ENPs to treat Minor Illnesses, so as to address the demand presented by patients at the weekend and at other times.
• A publicity campaign to advertise the service over a wide area.

Annual attendance is 4044 pa or 337 per month.  The staff costs at Edenbridge MIU amount to a cost of £17 per case.

When overheads are added the costs increase to £21 per case.

 

B.  Consulting Rooms

There are 1 consulting and 2 examination rooms.   Consultants attend from the local acute hospitals in all major specialties - ENT, Eyes, General Medicine, Geriatric Medicine, General Surgery, Dermatology, Orthopaedic, Gynaecology, and Paediatrics.

On average there are 4 clinics per week and approximately 225 outpatients per month.

The League of Friends is encouraging consultants to use the currently unused times for private patients.

 

Current Out-Patient clinics:

PROVIDER: Maidstone & Tunbridge Wells Acute Trust

Ophthalmology

Mr John Bell                                             4th Wednesday in month                              08.45 - 10.30

Follow up Clinic                                         2nd Tuesday in month                                 09.00 – 11.20

Mr John Bell 18 slots each Clinic

Dr Ansari 15 slots

 

Orthopaedic

Mr Paul Skinner                                          1st Monday in month                                 14.00 – 17.00

18 appointments each clinic

 

ENT

Mr Robert Sergeant + Trust Doctor/Reg          4th Thursday in month                               14.00 - 17.00

 

Audiologist

Mr Sergeant 22 slots each clinic

Registrar 20 slots

 

Care of the Elderly

Dr Reynolds & Dr Pattenshetty (Trust Doctor)  1st & 3rd Thursday in month                      14.15 - 16.30

Both Doctors 9 slots each

 

General Surgery

Mr Timothy Williams                                    2nd Wednesday in month                            14.30 - 17.00

20 slots each clinic

 

Gynaecology

Mr Philip Bamford                                        1st Tuesday in month                                09.00 - 11.45

12 slots each clinic

 

Paediatrics

Dr Day                                                      1st & 3rd Tuesday in month                        14.00 - 16.40

12 slots each clinic

 

General Medicine

Dr John Hughes                                          2nd Friday in month                                   09.35 - 12.00

18 slots each clinic

 

Dermatology

Dr Tharakaram                                           2nd & 4th Monday in month                         14.00 - 17.00

20 slots each clinic

 

PROVIDER: Queen Victoria Hospital Foundation Trust

Dietician                                                 2nd & 4th Tuesday in month                         09.00 - 12.00

ECG Clinic - Nurse led                               Weekly Wednesday mornings

 

C.  The Day Centre

This had been financed jointly by Sevenoaks Social Services (£70,000 pa) and the PCT (£45,000 pa).

The centre can cope with 118 clients per week. These are collected and returned to their houses from as far away as Westerham and Cowden by buses run by Sevenoaks DC (with a contribution of £10,000 p.a. paid by the PCT) and by the Volunteer Transport Bureau.

On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays they have clients with physical frailties and on Tuesdays and Thursdays they have those with mental health problems. Additionally on Fridays clients attend for rehabilitation to support independent living.

The centre is headed by a senior occupational therapist and staffed by Activities Assistants.

Renovation of the Day Centre is being reviewed by the PCT, and both the League of Friends and Abbeyfield have offered to contribute.

 

D.  Physiotherapy

There is a very well equipped physiotherapy department of 80 square metres and an administrative office, recently updated by the League at a cost of £60,000.

The department sees new and follow up patients, both from the district and from the wards.

The refurbished physiotherapy department officially opened in November 2003. The department has 3 curtained cubicles for musculoskeletal work, 2 curtained cubicles with large couches for musculoskeletal work and a small soundproof treatment room for when greater confidentiality is required. The three utility sinks, two hand washing sinks, coved flooring and wall cupboards encourage best infection control standards. Patients appreciate this bright clean and attractive department.

As part of the refurbishment the League of Friends spent approximately £8,500 on equipment. Larger items included a short wave machine and attachments, a therapeutic laser, a fridge, a microwave, a combined ultrasound and an interferential therapy unit. Corner steps enabled staff to do stair rehabilitation in the department rather than on the hospital stairs which are daunting for the elderly and infirm. A second large patient couch to accompany the parallel bars and steps ensured that the department was fully equipped for rehabilitation. Other items donated by the League were 8 chairs, curtains storage trolley, mobile stool, hand exerciser, notice board, shelves, waste bin, Medicycle (small pedals), Ice/heat packs and projector screen. New curtains were put up in December 2003.

Conditions treated include knee problems, low back pain, and shoulder disability, necks, hand/wrist problems, foot problems, hip pain, joint replacements, balance and gait problems, joint and limb pains and sprains, chest problems and rehabilitation following surgery.

 

E.  Podiatry

This is a well-equipped department.  2 Chiropodists work only Mondays, Wednesdays and alternate Fridays. They deal mostly with urgent housebound patients with medical conditions.  The staff manage their own administration. At present the criteria for free Podiatry are strictly controlled by the NHS.   The League of Friends recommend that the service should be offered to a wider range of patients on a paying basis in order to meet the demand for this service.

 

F.  X-ray

The X-ray department is an integral part of the Hospital.

The department has undergone an extensive refurbishment. The 28 year old GEC Apollo has been replaced by the PCT with a digital X-ray machine and new table.  There is a brand new Kodak Direct View CR850 CR Digital Reader and COINS fibre optic cable. Digital images will be transferred between Edenbridge Hospital and Queen Victoria hospital and other hospitals as required.

 

G.   Audiology (Hearing testing)

A new sound proof booth has been installed by the League of Friends, and the department is fully equipped.

Audiology is now only used for ENT clinics, since the contract with the private sector ran out. The League is pressing for this service to be re-established when the new contract with the private provider is drawn up.

 

H.  Kitchens

The kitchens are managed by Hotel Services.  A head cook and an associate cook and a full time volunteer washer-upper serve breakfast lunch and supper (about 56 meals per day). There is a capacity to provide 35 to 40 meals at a time. The kitchen provides meals twice weekly to Age Concern.

The kitchens are all modernised and all food is cooked to a high standard on the premises.

 

I.  Wards

There are 17 new fully flexible beds. There is a capacity for 19 beds although only 17 were opened after the refurbishing of the Hospital in 2004-5.   The 2/3 person wards and the 10 single en-suite rooms are fully equipped and very pleasant.

The Astor Room is used for training and meetings, but could be used again for 4 patients.

 

J.  First floor accommodation

This is used by Social Services and Midwives, Health Visitors, District Nurses and the Children’s’ department. There are 2 clinic rooms.

The League has provided much new equipment for these attached staff and have paid for a complete refurbishment of these areas of the hospital.

 

K. District Nurses

The District Nurse Service is designed to provide nursing input where the patient is housebound either through illness or immobility.

Patients are being discharged earlier from hospital, and patients with long term and chronic disease are being cared for more in the Community setting to avoid hospital admission.

The Edenbridge team is led by a full time Team Leader. The team can make up to 40 visits per day – The working day is from 08.00 to 16.00 hrs. The average number of visits is about 20.

Their remit includes dressings, procedures such as venepuncture, care of IV Lines for chemotherapy, care of the terminally ill patient, assessments for continence, care of catheters etc.

They are a vital link between hospital and home, and the Community Hospitals work closely with this team.

 

L. Speech and Language Therapy

The Speech and Language Therapist works part-time at Edenbridge Hospital.

 

M. Health Visitors

Health Visitors are based at the hospital.