Health Secretary visits Somerset Independent Sector Treatment Centre

The Rt Hon Patricia Hewitt, the Secretary of State for Health, was in Somerset today (25th July) to visit one of the region’s largest Independent Sector Treatment Centres. The Health Secretary saw for herself how Shepton Mallet NHS Treatment Centre is delivering both increased choice and significantly reduced waiting times for patients from across Dorset and Somerset. The visit coincides with the anniversary of the Treatment Centre’s first year of operation.

From Left to Right, Stephen Harrison - Chairman Mendip PCT, Rt Hon Patricia Hewitt MP - Secretary of State for Health, Glenys Mansfield - Registered Manager of Shepton Mallet Treatment Centre, Sir Ian Caruthers - Joint Chief Executive of Dorset & Somerset Strategic Health Authority (SHA) and Hampshire & Isle of Wight SHA and Jon Weiner - Chairman of UK Specialist Hospitals. Since opening Shepton Mallet NHS Treatment Centre has seen over 10,000 patients and has performed over 5,000 elective surgical procedures. This includes over 500 primary knee and hip joint procedures (for which the average length of inpatient stay is four days, compared with the national average of eight and a half days). During her hour long visit the Health Secretary met Glenys Mansfield the centre’s Registered Manager; Jon Weiner, Chairman of UK Specialist Hospitals Ltd; Robin Smith, Chief Executive of Mendip Primary Care Trust and the hospital’s dedicated team of nurses, surgeons and therapists. Somerset and Dorset’s primary care trusts have contracted Shepton Mallet NHS Treatment Centre to treat more than 11,500 NHS patients each year for the next five years. Treatments available at the centre include hip and knee replacements, cataract surgery and diagnostic tests, using their own MRI scanner. Before unveiling a plaque commemorating her visit to Shepton Mallet NHS Treatment Centre, Health Secretary, Patricia Hewitt, said to a gathered audience of patients, relatives and hospital staff: “I want to say thank you to everyone working at this Treatment Centre and everyone who has been backing this centre and who have worked to make it possible. What I have seen today is superb healthcare. All of it of course free at the point of need and all of it part of the NHS. The patients I have spoken to have been thrilled with the quality of care and the speed and convenience of care that is provided. It illustrates how we are trying to improve the NHS and ensure our patients get the best care in the world.” Glenys Mansfield, Registered Manager, Shepton Mallet Treatment Centre said, “We are proud to provide a first class service for so many NHS patients. The Treatment Centre is operating at full capacity and combines outstanding standards of clinical care with value for money on behalf of the local NHS and government. The Treatment Centre is really showing what a high quality health facility can achieve. Glenys Mansfield added: “Since opening on 18th July 2005, the Treatment Centre has introduced many innovations in clinical best practice, drawn from the UK, Europe and the USA. For example, advanced anaesthetic techniques are used, which keep the risk to patients minimal. The centre’s 25 highly skilled consultants and specialist Registrars are additional to the NHS and all have undergone a rigorous selection process prior to their appointment.” The Treatment Centre Contract was awarded to UKSH in 2004, and is its first hospital. UKSH is a UK-based company owned by a consortium of UK and US Institutional investors. Jon Weiner, UKSH Chairman commented: “Our aspiration is to bring the best of UK and US healthcare to our work in Shepton Mallet. We are pleased by the enthusiasm of our patients and staff for our service. We are indeed proud of our record of clinical quality and productivity and are grateful for the energetic support of the healthcare community in Somerset and Dorset." Robin Smith, Chief Executive of Mendip Primary Care Trust, commended the work of the Treatment Centre, staying: “Shepton Mallet NHS Treatment Centre is a major success. It has provided patients with a wider choice of hospitals to be referred to and the increased capacity it has brought to the local NHS has contributed to local waiting times for routine treatment falling from nine months to just nine weeks.” Patients choosing to come to the centre have consistently expressed a high level of satisfaction with their treatment. Over 94% of patients say they are very satisfied with their experience of treatment at the centre. Over 98% say that they “would recommend the Treatment Centre to a friend” and an impressive 99% of patients described the Treatment Centre as “welcoming and clean”. Before leaving the Treatment Centre Patricia Hewitt unveiled a commemorative plaque of her visit.

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