New hospital unit gets mayor's seal of approval

The state-of the-art Lancashire Elective Centre at Burnley General Teaching Hospital has been officially opened.
Mayor of Burnley Coun. Howard Baker, ELHT Chairman Professor Eileen Fairhurst, Mrs Rokiya Layer, Senior Sister Vikki McLoughlin and Consultant Vascular Surgeon Mr Rob Salaman at the opening of the new Lancashire Elective Centre (s)Mayor of Burnley Coun. Howard Baker, ELHT Chairman Professor Eileen Fairhurst, Mrs Rokiya Layer, Senior Sister Vikki McLoughlin and Consultant Vascular Surgeon Mr Rob Salaman at the opening of the new Lancashire Elective Centre (s)
Mayor of Burnley Coun. Howard Baker, ELHT Chairman Professor Eileen Fairhurst, Mrs Rokiya Layer, Senior Sister Vikki McLoughlin and Consultant Vascular Surgeon Mr Rob Salaman at the opening of the new Lancashire Elective Centre (s)

The Mayor and the Mayoress of Burnley, Coun. Howard Baker and Ms Tracey Rhodes, were joined by the Elective Centre’s first patient, Mrs Rokiya Laher to officially open the new centre, which has the capacity to treat in excess of 12,000 patients a year.

The new £1.5 million, 46-bedded unit is the latest development to be completed as part of ELHT’s £18m investment into NHS services at the hospital.

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Kevin McGee, Chief Executive at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “The innovative Lancashire Elective Centre represents a substantial investment in facilities at Burnley General Teaching Hospital.

“It means the Trust now has extra capacity to perform more planned surgery, there will be fewer cancellations and we can meet the increased demand for short stay surgery and minor procedures in East Lancashire and Blackburn with Darwen.

“I want to especially thank all the staff who have worked tirelessly while all the reconstruction and refurbishments were carried out. They have ensured patients have continued to receive safe, personal and effective care and treatment.”

Phase one opened in October 2016 but all work has since been completed and the centre is now fully operational.

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Facilities include a 46-bedded Elective Admissions Unit with capacity for 14 overnight stay patients, two dedicated elective operating theatres, a purpose-built room equipped to perform minor procedures and an infusion suite caring for patients requiring all types of IV treatment.

There is also an easy access DVT clinic supporting patient flow from A&E and Urgent Care as well as direct referrals from GPs.

“Demand for the type of procedures and treatments being carried out at the Lancashire Elective Centre is expected to continue to increase significantly in the coming years,” said ELHT Director of Operations, John Bannister.

“We’re delighted that the new facility is already extremely well-used, including the state-of-the-art procedure room which is purpose-built for minor treatments.

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“By developing this unit we have been able to provide additional capacity for East Lancashire and Blackburn with Darwen patients who may need an overnight stay or just a little extra time to recover from a procedure.”

Response from Lancashire Elective Centre patients has been overwhelmingly positive since its opening with clear benefits in the reduction of post procedure length of stay.

“Lancashire Elective Centre staff provide excellent care and are really proud of what they have created,” said Senior Sister Vikki McLoughlin.

“We are the first unit of this kind in the UK, offering a variety of treatments and procedures to both surgical and medical patients working hard to prevent unnecessary admissions on the acute Blackburn site.

“While the new Lancashire Elective Centre is designed to meet the needs of patients and visitors, the response from our staff has also been highly positive.”

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