Hospital aims to speed up care

A NEW ”fast-flow” ward could soon be helping staff treat patients more quickly at the Royal Oldham Hospital.

Bosses at the Pennine Acute Trust, which runs four hospitals, have already set up two such wards at North Manchester General.

A spokesman said it looked likely that approval would be granted for a ward in Oldham in the next few weeks.

The “fast-flow”, three-day wards accept patients for minor procedures, those who need observation and assessments, and those who staff expect to discharge in less than 72 hours.

Last year, the trust narrowly missed out on hitting the government target of treating or admitting 98 per cent of accident and emergency patients within four hours.

A total of 97 per cent of patients were seen across the trust’s four hospitals in Oldham, North Manchester, Rochdale and Bury.

A trust spokesman said delays were often caused not because of a lack of available doctors but because there was nowhere for patients to go.

A spokesman said: “It’s about improving patient safety and improving the experience and quality of care provided for our patients.”