TUESDAY, 3 OCTOBER, 2017

IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Public invited to give feedback on proposals to transform surgical services in Tayside

Members of the public are being encouraged to share their views on proposals to transform surgical services in Tayside.

Public, patients, carers and relatives have already attended a number of public events in Angus, Dundee and Perthshire since the consultation began on 3 July.

Associate Medical Director for Surgery Peter Stonebridge and members of the consultation team were available to discuss the proposals to make changes to where surgeons, doctors and nurses deliver some general surgical procedures in Tayside. The proposed changes are to ensure NHS Tayside can continue to provide sustainable, safe, high-quality surgical services into the future.

Written materials were also available for people to take home, including the consultation summary document, frequently asked questions and questionnaire.

After receiving feedback from stakeholders, the following additional public event has also been arranged in Kinross and Crieff to allow people in the local community to give their views.

• Monday, 9 October, Loch Leven Community Centre, Kinross, from 5pm to 7pm, Presentation and Q&A event.

• Thursday, 12 October, Crieff Community Campus, ICT rooms, Crieff from 5pm to 7pm,

The consultation period has been extended to accommodate the additional event and will now run until Monday, 16 October 2017.

The proposed transformation of surgical services will create a service that allows NHS Tayside to deliver high-quality care, balancing the number of operations that can be carried out in all three acute hospitals in Tayside with patient demand.

Surgeons, doctors, nurses and other members of the clinical team are leading this proposed change and they have explored many options of how surgery can be transformed in Tayside with other clinicians, managers, voluntary sector representatives, staff and NHS Tayside public partners.

A wide range of people were involved in reviewing the pros and cons of each option put forward by the clinical teams. The preferred option was then presented to the Board of NHS Tayside who agreed that the public should be consulted on the following proposal:

• There will continue to be three surgical units across Tayside at Ninewells, Perth Royal Infirmary and Stracathro Hospital

• All unscheduled surgery should come to Ninewells Hospital 24-hours a-day

• An increase in the number of elective surgery patients at Perth Royal Infirmary to develop PRI as a centre for excellence for elective surgery

• An increase in the number of day case and minor elective surgery patients at Stracathro

The proposals would mean that all patients in Tayside can access the most appropriate facilities for their elective surgery.

This also means that more Perth & Kinross elective patients would be treated closer to home at PRI and there would be an enhancement of critical care in the hospital to deal with an increase in major elective surgery.

Information about the consultation is available at www.transformingsurgery.scot.nhs.uk where the public can find out more about the proposals and complete an online questionnaire. You can also contact Freephone 0800 7836110, by email surgicalservices.tayside@nhs.net or by post Public Involvement, Tayside NHS Board, Freepost SCO 6181, Dundee, DD3 8ZR.

Contact:

NHS Tayside Communications

(01382) 424138