More services cut at Rochdale Infirmary

Mid November has been pencilled in as the target date for the transfer of orthopaedic trauma treatment from Rochdale Infirmary to The Royal Oldham Hospital. 

Orthopaedic trauma patients needing urgent surgery will be treated by the orthopaedic team at The Royal Oldham Hospital.

Anyone who attends Rochdale Infirmary with broken bones will continue to be seen and treated at Rochdale’s Accident and Emergency Department, but if they need an operation to repair their injury, they will be transferred to the orthopaedic trauma team based at The Royal Oldham.

Some Rochdale patients will be discharged from The Royal Oldham Hospital but those needing a prolonged stay will be returned to Rochdale Infirmary (known as repatriation) for further treatment and recovery time.

Chris Elsworth, clinical director of Trauma and Orthopaedics at The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “This is a good opportunity for us to create a first class fracture surgery service for the people of Rochdale and Oldham. It allows us to concentrate expertise and resources, enabling us to improve and expand our services for patients who require fracture surgery whilst also ensuring that patients receive high quality elective surgery.”

The reshaping of trauma and orthopaedic services is the first major change in the Healthy Futures Service Reconfiguration project.

Sir Jonathan Asbridge, who heads the Healthy Futures Delivery Unit, said: “The important thing about the changes is that they build on the best of what’s available and have full backing from the clinicians who deliver the services as the best way of delivering high quality and safe care for their patients.”