Royal Surrey County Hospital
Encyclopedia
The Royal Surrey County Hospital (RSCH) is a 527-bedded District General Hospital
, located on the fringe of Guildford
, serving a population of 320,000 for general services and 1,200,000 for cancer
services. The Royal Surrey is also a specialist centre for diabetes, ENT and maxillo facial surgery.
The Trust offers clinical care with one of the lowest mortality rates and one of the best performing A&E departments in the UK. It is situated close to the University of Surrey
allowing it to offer opportunities for research and pioneering treatments such as fibroid embolisation, brachytherapy
and minimal access surgery.
The Royal Surrey County Hospital in Guildford became one of the first NHS Trust
s in 1991. It treats over 260,000 patients a year - 56,000 Accident and Emergency, 39,000 in-patients and day-patients and 167,000 outpatients. The Trust's annual income to run its services is £199 million.
It employs 3,400 staff, with 362 doctors, 754 nurses and midwives as well as therapists, scientific and technical and support staff (wholetime equivalent). The Trust has 20 wards comprising general and specialist surgery, obstetrics
, paediatrics, oncology
, orthopaedics, general and specialist medicine, intensive care and coronary care, with 527 beds in total. There are 12 dedicated surgical theatres, one obstetric and one minor operations theatre and state of the art outpatient, audiology
and rehabilitation departments.
From October 2006 to October 2007 a successful campaign was fought to save the hospital, along with St Luke's Cancer Centre, from closure. The campaign attracted the support of over 100,000 local people through petitions, protests, publicity and lobbying at a local and national level. Threats remain however to hospitals in West Sussex as part of the South East Coast Strategic Health Authority's Fit for the Future strategy.
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
, located on the fringe of Guildford
Guildford
Guildford is the county town of Surrey. England, as well as the seat for the borough of Guildford and the administrative headquarters of the South East England region...
, serving a population of 320,000 for general services and 1,200,000 for cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
services. The Royal Surrey is also a specialist centre for diabetes, ENT and maxillo facial surgery.
The Trust offers clinical care with one of the lowest mortality rates and one of the best performing A&E departments in the UK. It is situated close to the University of Surrey
University of Surrey
The University of Surrey is a university located within the county town of Guildford, Surrey in the South East of England. It received its charter on 9 September 1966, and was previously situated near Battersea Park in south-west London. The institution was known as Battersea College of Technology...
allowing it to offer opportunities for research and pioneering treatments such as fibroid embolisation, brachytherapy
Brachytherapy
Brachytherapy , also known as internal radiotherapy, sealed source radiotherapy, curietherapy or endocurietherapy, is a form of radiotherapy where a radiation source is placed inside or next to the area requiring treatment...
and minimal access surgery.
The Royal Surrey County Hospital in Guildford became one of the first NHS Trust
NHS Trust
A National Health Service trust provides services on behalf of the National Health Service in England and NHS Wales.The trusts are not trusts in the legal sense but are in effect public sector corporations. Each trust is headed by a board consisting of executive and non-executive directors, and is...
s in 1991. It treats over 260,000 patients a year - 56,000 Accident and Emergency, 39,000 in-patients and day-patients and 167,000 outpatients. The Trust's annual income to run its services is £199 million.
It employs 3,400 staff, with 362 doctors, 754 nurses and midwives as well as therapists, scientific and technical and support staff (wholetime equivalent). The Trust has 20 wards comprising general and specialist surgery, obstetrics
Obstetrics
Obstetrics is the medical specialty dealing with the care of all women's reproductive tracts and their children during pregnancy , childbirth and the postnatal period...
, paediatrics, oncology
Oncology
Oncology is a branch of medicine that deals with cancer...
, orthopaedics, general and specialist medicine, intensive care and coronary care, with 527 beds in total. There are 12 dedicated surgical theatres, one obstetric and one minor operations theatre and state of the art outpatient, audiology
Audiology
Audiology is the branch of science that studies hearing, balance, and related disorders. Its practitioners, who treat those with hearing loss and proactively prevent related damage are audiologists. Employing various testing strategies Audiology (from Latin , "to hear"; and from Greek , -logia) is...
and rehabilitation departments.
From October 2006 to October 2007 a successful campaign was fought to save the hospital, along with St Luke's Cancer Centre, from closure. The campaign attracted the support of over 100,000 local people through petitions, protests, publicity and lobbying at a local and national level. Threats remain however to hospitals in West Sussex as part of the South East Coast Strategic Health Authority's Fit for the Future strategy.