On Monday 12 Feb I made my quarterly visit to Southend Hospital to witness the progress on several different projects. You may remember that I was instrumental in securing £118m in capital funding for Mid and South Essex Foundation Trust, the majority of which is earmarked for Southend. I like to see where the money is being spent so I can report back regularly to you all.
In a meeting with the hospital’s Chief Operating Officer Andrew Pike, I asked for details of how the initial sum of £8m had been spent and quizzed him on how Southend planned to elevate its CQC (Care Quality Commission) rating from ‘needs improvement’ to ‘good’.
I pressed Andrew Pike to explain the ambulance drop-off and turnaround times which at the moment are too lengthy. I also queried cancer patient waiting times stressing that Southend patients need to be seen quickly to minimise the stress of waiting for treatment after a cancer diagnosis.
Andrew assured me that the hospital has a plan and that the directors and staff are working hard to ensure that by June 2024, 90% of ambulances will be waiting outside for no more than 30 minutes, and 55% for no more than 15 minutes.
Andrew also stressed that cancer treatment times would get more efficient when the new radiotherapy bunker is completed.
After our meeting I was taken on a tour of the hospital where I saw for myself the progress on the new A&E wing which is currently under construction. The contractors explained to me how long the work would take and described how the finished bays would look. I think it's going to be absolutely fantastic for patients having these brand new A&E facilities in Southend.
I then had to don a hard hat to walk around the outside of the new LINAC (linear accelerator) bunker expansion which when finished, will provide cutting-edge radiotherapy for patients. £8m of the initial £118m funding has gone into the A&E expansion and the LINAC radiotherapy bunker and I was was impressed by the progress on both.
I was also lucky enough to be shown round the state-of-the-art complex pelvic cancer surgery centre, which comprises two operating theatres complete with Davinci XI robotic assisted surgery. The theatre staff explained to me how robotic assisted surgery allows doctors to perform complex procedures with minimal invasion and with more precision, flexibility and control than is possible with conventional techniques.
The pelvic surgery centre makes Southend one of the leading pelvic and gynecological medical hubs in the UK, treating patients who would otherwise have to go to London for surgery. It's a brilliant local resource.
I was reassured to learn that the hospital is on track to launch future projects such as the endoscopy suite which will be ready by March 2025, and the new surgical hub will be ready by late 2025.
