Green team with hearts of gold...

Date published: 01 October 2013


FOUR weeks in Butler Green Intermediate Care Unit prompted grateful patient Roy Bardsley to nominate the team who cared for him for a Pride in Oldham award.

The 63-year-old, of Elizabeth Avenue, Chadderton, spent two weeks there after a fall put him in hospital, then a further two weeks after he ended up back in hospital with a medical complaint.

He said: “The staff there are brilliant. They are looking after you all the time and everyone wants to help. You can’t do anything wrong, the care is absolutely marvellous.”

The 35-strong team provides round-the-clock care for 28 inpatients under the leadership of co-ordinator Vicki Elcock.

They provide intermediate care, which is a halfway house between hospital and a patient’s own home, as well as advanced care, which involves giving intravenous antibiotics in the unit and to patients at home, to prevent them having to go back in hospital.

Butler Green also offers a rapid response service which assesses people in their own homes. When told of the nomination, a delighted Vicki said: “Wow, that’s brilliant, fantastic, I am really pleased.”

She explained how her staff had helped to rehabilitate Roy, helping him improve on the couple of steps he could walk when he arrived at Butler Green, to being able to get around confidently with a frame.

He received intravenous antibiotics on the unit, staff checked his home to assess what safety equipment he needed and did a follow-up visit to make sure he was managing well at home.

“Roy has young grandchildren and he wanted to get back home, to be able to drive and play bowls again and enjoy a normal life,” explained Vicki.

“We treat patients as individuals and our staff give 110 per cent. They are really committed.

“They have all just donated six hours of their time on a Saturday to create three lovely gardens for patients to sit out and enjoy.”