The Need

Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which provided surgical and clinical services to Gloucestershire PCT (then operator of both Tewkesbury and Stroud General Hospital) needed to develop a solution which allowed patients in the region to benefit from treatment close to their home. Stroud General Hospital was undergoing a 1.8m pound refurbishment of its operating theatres and endoscopy facility. They needed a solution to ensure treatment would still be locally accessible.

The Q-bital Plan

Originally, Q-bital planned to install a mobile day surgery Healthcare Space. However, due to the steep incline approaching Stroud General Hospital, it was not possible to locate the mobile facility in the hospital car park. The planning team sourced an alternative location, in a nearby DIY store car park, instead.

The Q-bital Solution

The facility remained on site for several weeks and allowed patient care to remain in the Stroud area. It helped to avoid disruptive, costly and time-consuming transfers of patients to nearby hospitals. Additionally, Trust medical staff conducted all operations on the mobile facility, supported by Q-bital clinical personnel. This avoided the need to outsource these surgical procedures to other providers.

The Outcome

The procedures included arthroscopy, cataract removal, hand surgery, urology and pain management.

Steve Peak, former Director of Service Delivery of Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, told us: “It’s all about keeping treatment close to people’s homes. This new kind of partnership proved invaluable for our patients. We had good reports from patients who were very impressed with both the environment and the service provided by the mobile theatre.”