CanniesburnNews
Message from the Medical Director
There are many who fear the changes that we have
seen in the newly formed North Side Trust and in the Acute Services
Review, and other changes within the National Health Service. Many
of these changes however, offer plastic surgery opportunities for
further development.
The plastic surgery service, which covers the whole
of the West of Scotland, is a model of how managed clinical networks
can be successfully organised. We have developed very sophisticated
referral patterns and treatment protocols for our activities in
neighbouring Health Boards and further development of these services
will improve the service that we can provide to patients near their
homes.
As Medical Director of the Glasgow Royal Infirmary University NHS
Trust, I have been exposed to a wide variety of issues concerning
healthcare in Glasgow and the West of Scotland. There are major
questions surrounding reconfiguration of services and some patterns
of care are becoming apparent. The Plastic Surgery Unit will move
from Canniesburn to the Glasgow Royal Infirmary, which will become a
major emergency and trauma centre for the north side of the city.
Oral and maxillofacial surgery in-patients will move
to the Southern General Hospital and again trauma services will be
concentrated on the south side within the Southern General Hospital.
We will be sorry to lose the close inpatient links, being classed as
a Plastics & Oral Maxillofacial Surgery Unit but the outpatients
clinics and much of the outpatient consultation and joint
collaboration will continue in the future. We wish Oral &
Maxillofacial Surgery the best of success in moving its in-patient
facility to the Southern General.
The Plastic Surgery service will move to the Royal
Infirmary and in my role as Medical Director of Glasgow Royal
Infirmary University NHS Trust, I have had the opportunity over the
past few months to familiarise myself with the workings of this
major institution. This, I hope, will set us in good stead for our
move and integration into the new facilities.
I have had to spend considerable amounts of time in administration
within the Royal Infirmary and I am very conscious of the great
efforts made by all my colleagues.
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Closure of Canniesburn Hospital
The Plastic Surgery Unit will move to Glasgow Royal
Infirmary to a new build that has been designed and will be
constructed by Laings. The plans for this build are nearing
completion and there will be a series of Open Meetings in January so
that all members of staff can see the proposed new build. The new
build incorporates a new Emergency Receiving Centre as well as the
Plastic Surgery Unit comprising an Outpatients Department, Burns
Unit, Theatre Suite and in-patient facilities of 80 beds. The plans
for Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery are less well developed but the
decision has finally been made that in-patient facilities for Oral &
Maxillofacial Surgery will transfer to the Southern General
Hospital.
You will be aware that the Young Physically Disabled Unit has closed
and been transferred and that we are currently in the process of
transferring much of Care of the Elderly. 30 beds are to close by
the end of January in Care of the Elderly with the remaining 60 beds
closing next year. The date for closure of Care of the Elderly has
not yet been decided by the Health Board.
The plan therefore is for the total closure of the
Canniesburn site at approximately Easter of the year 2001 when
plastic surgery will move into its new facility in Glasgow Royal
Infirmary. The new facility has increased theatre capacity and the
same number of beds that we currently have available to us and
therefore there is no plan to reduce the service currently offered.
Our new facility however does offer us the advantage of having both
our Burns and Trauma facilities and our elective surgery on the one
site and therefore brings the whole of plastic surgery together
within a major teaching hospital.
David S Soutar ChM FRCS
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Canniesburn Receives Bronze Award
Due to the hard work put in by staff at Canniesburn
Hospital, in particular Rosemary Kelly and Fiona Dawson, we have
successfully been awarded a Bronze Award by Scotland's Health at
Work Scheme. This represents the commitment of the staff at
Canniesburn to lead a healthier lifestyle.
Canniesburn Research Trust
The Canniesburn Hospital Research Trust is a
registered charity whose aim is to develop all aspects of plastic
surgery. We have recently appointed Mr Allan Burns as an appeals
co-ordinator and he has been very influential in helping us develop
projects for presentation to other charities looking for funding. Mr
Burns has an office outside the Estates Department in the
Administration Building and can be contacted on 5649. He is keen to
develop projects, which may involve staff salaries or equipment and
help any members of staff design applications for grants.
The Canniesburn Research Trust currently promotes several aspects of
research within plastic surgery, both within medical and paramedical
staff. We are keen to hear of any research projects that members of
staff may wish to be involved in or who require funding to part fund
their project. We are also interested in any help and ideas staff
may have, or means of raising money. Please contact Allan Burns on
5649 for with any ideas or comments.
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