Opening new specialist hospital unit
12 September 2006
Yesterday Dr Whitehead opened a new ward for critically ill patients at Southampton General Hospital. The eight-bed Surgical High Dependency Unit has been developed for patients who are critically ill before and after surgery.
The new unit provides a first class facility where patients can be stabilised before surgery, cared for after major operations, monitored if there is a risk of complications and looked after if they are in an unstable condition and need to be operated on urgently.
You can watch a video of the opening courtesy of the Southern Daily Echo here.
Background
- The NHS employs 1.3 million staff: biggest employer in UK, 3rd biggest employer in the world.
- By 2007-8, spending on the NHS will be approximately 90% higher in real terms than in 1997. Funding has increased from £34.7 billion in 1997/98 to £69.7 billion in 2004/05. By 2007/08 spending on the NHS will have increased to over £92 billion.
- 98% of patients wait less than 4 hours in A&E.
- There are 200,000 more staff in the NHS than in 1997, and 30,000 more in the past year.
- 3% of NHS staff are in management roles. NHS management costs are: 2004, 4 pence in £, down from 5 pence in £ in 2000.
