Former Patients Return to Perform Official Opening of Southampton NHS Treatment Centre

Company news

Jul 08, 2009

Three of the first patients to be treated at Southampton’s new NHS Treatment Centre, run by Care UK, returned to perform the official opening ceremony on Friday July 3 2009.

Pauline Coupland, Robbie Marnoch and Claire Alexander unveiled a plaque at the Centre, before an invited audience of Care UK and NHS staff, the Mayor of Southampton, Councillor Elizabeth Mizon and New Forest East MP Dr Julian Lewis.

Robbie said: ‘Right from my first appointment here to sort out my hip replacement, the care has been excellent. I can’t fault the Treatment Centre.’ Pauline also had a hip replacement operation and Claire underwent surgery for a urinary infection.

The Centre accepted its first patients from Southampton, Hampshire, Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight in October 2008, less than a year after contracts were signed for the development at the Royal South Hants Hospital. Up to now, more than 6,000 people have visited for out-patient appointments and around 4,000 have undergone operations.
Grant Rex, Managing Director of Care UK Secondary Care Services, said: ‘Our Treatment Centre has become a vital part of the NHS family in a few short months. It is well liked by patients, with excellent patient satisfaction ratings and clinical outcomes.  We are proud to say we have never had a single case of hospital-acquired MRSA or C. Difficile at Southampton.’

Chris Evennett, Director of Strategy and Reform from the South Central Strategic Health Authority added: ‘This new Centre enhances the provision of healthcare in Southampton; providing an excellent modern facility, offering improved choice and access to patients across a wide range of health care services. This successful  collaboration is a great example of how innovation and working together can deliver benefits for the local  community, and we congratulate all those involved in delivering this exciting new Treatment Centre now formally opened.’

The NHS Treatment Centre, run by Care UK, is part of an initiative by NHS Southampton City, NHS Hampshire and other local Primary Care Trusts, NHS South Central and the Department of Health to increase the range of choices that can be offered by GPs to NHS patients who need hospital care, help reduce waiting times and introduce innovation into the NHS. Procedures available at the Centre include ear, nose and throat surgery, endoscopy, general surgery, orthopaedics, ophthalmology, urology, gynaecology and oral surgery.