For more help with choosing your , contact: Choosing your hospital

Community Patient Contact Centre Morecambe Bay Primary Care Trust Westmorland General Hospital Burton Road Kendal LA9 7RG

Tel: 01539 716530 P H O T O G R A P H Y C O P Y R I G H T : A L A M Y , G E T T Y , J O H N B I R D S A L L , N H S L I B R A

A copy of this booklet is also R Y , R E X

available on: www.nhs.uk , S P L , Z E F

270744/134 A / C O R B I © Crown copyright 2005. S What is patient choice? Things to think about If you and your GP decide that you need to see a specialist Where can I go for treatment? for further treatment, you can now choose where to have You might already have experience of a particular hospital or know someone who has. Now you can choose – where would you like to go? Or, if you like, your treatment from a list of or clinics. From April, your GP can recommend a hospital where you can be treated. you may have an even bigger choice – full details will be How do I find out more information on the NHS website (www.nhs.uk). about my condition? Your GP should be able to give you the answers to some of the questions This guide explains more about how the process works. you have. Or contact NHS Direct: visit www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk or call It also gives you answers to some questions you may have. 0845 4647 and ask to speak to a health information advisor. Plus, there are details of the hospitals you can choose and How long will it take? some information to help you choose the one that will be How quickly do you want to be treated? Would you be willing to travel best for you. If you need more help, details of your local further away if it meant you could be treated quicker? support services are on the back of this booklet. Where’s closest? You might want to think about how you will get to hospital. Who will take As well as the hospitals listed in this booklet, your GP may you there and pick you up when your treatment is finished? If you are going also be able to refer you to community-based services, to stay in hospital for a while, do you want to be close to family or friends? such as GPs with Special Interests or community clinics. Where’s best for me? Alternatively, if your GP decides to refer you to a Clinical Different people have different priorities. You know what’s most important for you – hospital cleanliness or location, for example. This booklet gives you Assessment Service and you then need to go to hospital, an overall idea of what each hospital is like, so you can work out which one you will be able to choose from this list of hospitals. suits you. If you want to find out more visit www.nhs.uk, the NHS website. Your questions answered Making your choice

Why would I want to choose which Is there help available for my travel You may already have a clear idea as to where you would like to be treated. If so, this hospital treats me? arrangements to get to hospital? booklet will give you more information on the hospital you have chosen. If you haven’t made If you choose which hospital you are treated If your GP or the person who has referred you up your mind, you could: in, you can make sure that you go to the determines that you have a medical need for place that will best suit your needs. transport to get to hospital, patient transport Find out what your choices are services should be provided. You may also Talk to your GP or local support services about the choices that are available to What if I don’t want to choose? have your travel expenses paid through the you and where you can get more information and support. You do not have to make the decision Hospital Travel Costs Scheme, if you get Get the information you need yourself. If you prefer, your GP can still Jobseeker’s Allowance, Working Tax Credit, make the choice for you and recommend Child Tax Credit or Pension Credit. This guide should give you most of the information you need to help you make a hospital for your treatment. your choice. For more details visit www.nhs.uk, the NHS website. Which hospital should I choose? Talk it through with someone else What if I don’t want to go to a The hospitals you can choose from will depend You may want to discuss your choices with family or friends, especially if you different hospital? on the type of specialist you need to see. This are going to need their help with travel or care after your treatment. You don’t have to. If you would rather visit booklet shows you which hospitals carry out Weigh up the pros and cons the hospital that you usually go to, then you the treatment you need (Where can I have my can make that choice. treatment?). The table How does your Hospital Consider your needs and compare each hospital using the information you have, Trust score? gives you more information about bearing in mind what is most important to you. Is patient choice offered for all these hospitals and will help you make a Book your appointment medical conditions? choice that best suits you. You will be advised how to book your hospital appointment. Once you have A choice of hospital is available for most decided where you want to go, follow this guidance. And don’t be afraid to ask medical conditions. However, not all What happens if I change my mind? if you need help with booking an appointment. hospitals treat every medical condition If you decide that you do not want to be and some patients may need a more treated at the hospital where you have your specialist service. first appointment, you can go back to your GP, who will go through the other options If I need treatment after my first available to you. appointment, will I be treated at Your hospitals the same hospital? Where can I get the information I need In most cases you will. But if you need very to help me make my choice? The next few pages will help you decide which hospital will be best for you: specialised treatment, you may have to go If you want to know something that isn’t to another hospital. covered in this guide, or you want more Where can I have my treatment? shows which Hospital Trusts treat advice, you can talk to your GP or other which conditions. There are descriptions of each of your local hospitals Will I have to pay? local support services. You’ll find the details and how to get to them. No, not as an NHS patient. All the hospitals of your local support services on the back The map shows where each hospital is. listed provide services to NHS patients. As cover of this booklet. You may also want to How do your hospitals score? gives ratings for each Hospital Trust, long as you choose one of the hospitals talk things through with family and friends. so that you can compare their performance in nine different categories. listed in this booklet, you won’t have to pay. For further information you can visit www.nhs.uk, the NHS website. Where can I have my treatment? Hospital Trusts

Use the chart below to check which hospitals provide the service you need. In addition Hospital Trusts are NHS organisations that manage hospitals. There may be more than to the hospitals listed, your GP may be able to refer you to community-based or other one hospital in a single Trust. The NHS collects information at Trust level, so a lot of services. Ask him or her what’s available in your local area. He or she will also advise information is listed by Trust, not individual hospital. you if the service you need is not listed. Specialty name The list shows which hospitals are in which Hospital Trust. s c i y r d t e e Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals e a y a g r o n g p y i y r r u o o c y l g

h Hospitals NHS Trust NHS Trust s i e h

t g o t y o y d g l r r o o r g g e l l & o s o e l

y q s

u Blackpool Victoria Hospital Freeman Hospital

o y i o t o c l l m s g i t x e m g

n & r l o o l l o

s a a y t o e t l c a l a a d a

o Newcastle General Hospital a g o a o r r e m m h i o i r n - o t m e e r a

t u d l l m d , u h s n n u n r e r e r

a f o Central Manchester and Royal Victoria Infirmary a e y e a e r p r e a h a a r E C D G G G G N O P R T U Hospital provider O Manchester Children’s University Hospitals NHS Trust North Acute Hospitals Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre Hospitals NHS Trust GGGGGGG GGGGGG w Manchester Royal Infirmary NHS Trust Central Manchester and Manchester Children’s g G University Hospitals NHS Trust East Lancashire Hospitals NHS h West Cumberland Hospital East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust GGGGGGG GGGGGG Trust e Blackburn Royal Infirmary Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust GGGGGGGGGGGGGG r Burnley General Hospital University Hospitals NHS Trust t Rossendale Hospital j Royal Liverpool University Morecambe Bay Hospitals NHS Trust GGGGGGG GGGGGG Hospital Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust GGGGGGGGGGGGGG NHS Foundation Trust y Chorley and South Ribble North Cumbria Acute Hospitals NHS Trust GGGGGGGGGGGGGG Hospital Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen u Royal Preston Hospital University Hospitals NHS Trust G Morecambe Bay Hospitals NHS Trust i Furness General Hospital o Royal Lancaster Infirmary a Westmorland General Hospital

This data was correct at the time of going to print and may be subject to amendments. Find your hospital Your hospitals

The numbers on this map refer to the numbers on the hospital list on the previous page.

BLACKPOOL, FYLDE AND WYRE CENTRAL MANCHESTER AND HOSPITALS NHS TRUST MANCHESTER CHILDREN’S NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS NHS TRUST UPON TYNE BLACKPOOL VICTORIA HOSPITAL MANCHESTER ROYAL INFIRMARY 12 11 13

14 CARLISLE

A595

TOWN 55 WHITEHAVEN 15 DARLINGTON

Whinney Heys Road, Blackpool, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9WL M6 Lancashire FY3 8NR Tel: 0161 276 1234 A1(M) A590 KENDAL Tel: 01253 300000 www.cmmc.nhs.uk 10 www.bfwhospitals.nhs.uk M23 A542 AT A GLANCE AT A GLANCE 8 The 800-bed Manchester Royal LANCASTER Blackpool Victoria Hospital, near the Infirmary, in central Manchester, BARROW-IN-FURNESS 9 town centre, has 800 beds and offers a range of services. These covers a full range of services from include the Manchester Heart maternity to elderly care. It specialises Centre, renal (kidney) medicine and in heart problems. A new heart unit transplantation, surgery, orthopaedics is opening in 2006. (bones and joints), ear, nose and BLACKPOOL 1 7 BRADFORD BURNLEY throat (ENT) and urology (urinary 4 PUBLIC TRANSPORT PRESTON 3 tract). BLACKBURN 5 M62 Nearest train station: Blackpool 6 North, two miles away. PUBLIC TRANSPORT M66 Buses: Blackpool Transport Nearest train station: Oxford Road, MANCHESTER 01253 473000. 15 minutes walk. 2 Buses: Greater Manchester Passenger PARKING M62 Transport Executive 0161 228 7811. M60 M56 Limited. Charges apply. 16 PARKING LIVERPOOL Charges apply. Your hospitals

EAST LANCASHIRE HOSPITALS EAST LANCASHIRE HOSPITALS NHS TRUST NHS TRUST

BLACKBURN ROYAL INFIRMARY BURNLEY GENERAL HOSPITAL

Bolton Road, Blackburn, Casterton Avenue, Burnley, Lancashire BB2 3LR Lancashire BB10 2PQ Tel: 01254 263555 Tel: 01282 425071 www.hospitalsineastlancs.nhs.uk www.hospitalsineastlancs.nhs.uk

AT A GLANCE AT A GLANCE The 322-bed Blackburn Royal The 533-bed Burnley General Infirmary, a mile south of Blackburn Hospital in north-east Burnley town centre, offers a wide range of provides a variety of surgical services general and specialist services. It is and covers specialties in dermatology due to close in 2006 when all services (skin), chiropody (foot) and ENT (ear, will be transferred to Queen’s Park nose and throat). Hospital. PUBLIC TRANSPORT PUBLIC TRANSPORT Nearest train station: Brierfield, Nearest train station: Blackburn, one mile. 10 minutes walk. Buses: Traveline 0870 608 2 608. Buses: Traveline 0870 608 2 608. PARKING PARKING Charges apply. Charges apply. Your hospitals

EAST LANCASHIRE HOSPITALS LANCASHIRE TEACHING HOSPITALS NHS TRUST NHS FOUNDATION TRUST

ROSSENDALE HOSPITAL CHORLEY AND SOUTH RIBBLE HOSPITAL

Union Road, Rawtenstal, Rossendale, Preston Road, Chorley, Lancashire BB4 6NE Lancashire PR7 1PP Tel: 01706 215151 Tel: 01257 261222 www.hospitalsineastlancs.nhs.uk www.lancsteachinghospitals.nhs.uk

AT A GLANCE AT A GLANCE Rossendale is a medium-sized The 499-bed Chorley and South hospital providing a range of Ribble Hospital, near Chorley town outpatient, day patient, X-ray and centre, offers a full range of services. rehabilitation services. It has inpatient It has one of the region’s biggest facilities for mental health, medicine bone and muscle surgery centres. for the elderly, general medicine and surgery. PUBLIC TRANSPORT Nearest train station: Chorley, PUBLIC TRANSPORT one mile. Nearest train station: Accrington, Buses: Traveline 0870 608 2 608. 10 minutes walk. Buses: Traveline 0870 608 2 608 PARKING Limited. Charges apply. PARKING Charges apply. Your hospitals Your hospitals

LANCASHIRE TEACHING HOSPITALS MORECAMBE BAY HOSPITALS MORECAMBE BAY HOSPITALS MORECAMBE BAY HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST NHS TRUST NHS TRUST NHS TRUST

ROYAL PRESTON HOSPITAL FURNESS GENERAL HOSPITAL ROYAL LANCASTER INFIRMARY WESTMORLAND GENERAL HOSPITAL

Sharoe Green Lane North, Fulwood, Dalton Lane, Barrow in Furness, Ashton Road, Lancaster, Burton Road, Kendal, Cumbria Preston, Lancashire PR2 9HT Cumbria LA14 4LF Lancashire LA1 4RP LA9 7RG Tel: 01772 716565 Tel: 01229 870870 Tel: 01524 65944 Tel: 01539 732288 www.lancsteachinghospitals.nhs.uk www.mbht.nhs.uk www.mbht.nhs.uk www.mbht.nhs.uk

AT A GLANCE AT A GLANCE AT A GLANCE AT A GLANCE The Royal Preston Hospital, north of The 400-bed Furness General In the Lancaster city centre, the 550- The Westmorland General Hospital, Preston city centre, offers a full range Hospital, near Barrow town centre, bed Royal Lancaster Infirmary on the outskirts of Kendal, has 250 of hospital services with specialist provides a full range of elective provides a range of elective beds. Its services cover elective units for burns, plastic surgery, services. It has an oncology (cancer) healthcare services. It is also a sub- surgery, acute medical care and kidney function and nervous system unit and provides a sub-regional regional vascular unit and houses the minor injuries. It also has a disorders. It has 1,031 beds and also service for upper gastro-intestinal North Lancashire and South Cumbria midwifery-led maternity unit and provides cancer care. surgery. breast screening service. coronary (heart) care facilities.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT PUBLIC TRANSPORT PUBLIC TRANSPORT PUBLIC TRANSPORT Nearest train station: Preston, Nearest train station: Barrow Station, Nearest train station: Lancaster, Nearest train station: Oxenholme, three miles away. two miles. one mile. 10 minutes walk. Buses: Traveline 0870 608 2 608. Buses: Traveline 0870 608 2 608. Buses: Traveline 0870 608 2 608. Buses: Traveline 0870 608 2 608.

PARKING PARKING PARKING PARKING Limited. Charges apply. Charges apply. Charges apply. Charges apply. Your hospitals

NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE HOSPITALS NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE HOSPITALS NHS TRUST NHS TRUST

FREEMAN HOSPITAL NEWCASTLE GENERAL HOSPITAL

Freeman Road, High Heaton, Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear NE7 7DN Tyne and Wear NE4 6BE Tel: 0191 233 6161 Tel: 0191 233 6161 www.newcastle-hospitals.org.uk www.newcastle-hospitals.org.uk

AT A GLANCE AT A GLANCE This large 781-bed teaching hospital This 313-bed teaching hospital, in in east Newcastle offers a wide range west Newcastle, offers a range of of services, including ear, nose and services, including cancer care, brain throat care. It also has a large and nerve specialists and a children’s specialist chest and heart unit. unit.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT PUBLIC TRANSPORT Nearest train station: Newcastle, Nearest train station: Newcastle, three miles. two miles. Buses: Traveline 0870 608 2 608. Buses: Traveline 0870 608 2 608.

PARKING PARKING Charges apply. Charges apply. Your hospitals Your hospitals

NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE HOSPITALS NORTH CUMBRIA ACUTE HOSPITALS NORTH CUMBRIA ACUTE HOSPITALS ROYAL LIVERPOOL AND NHS TRUST NHS TRUST NHS TRUST BROADGREEN HOSPITALS TRUST

ROYAL VICTORIA INFIRMARY CUMBERLAND INFIRMARY WEST CUMBERLAND HOSPITAL ROYAL LIVERPOOL UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

Queen Victoria Road, Newtown Road, Carlisle, Hensingham, Whitehaven, Prescot Street, Liverpool, Newcastle upon Tyne, Cumbria CA2 7HY Cumbria CA28 8JG Merseyside L7 8XP Tyne and Wear NE1 4LP Tel: 01228 523444 Tel: 01946 693181 Tel: 0151 706 2000 Tel: 0191 233 6161 www.ncumbria.nhs.uk www.ncumbria.nhs.uk www.rlbuht.nhs.uk www.newcastle-hospitals.org.uk AT A GLANCE AT A GLANCE AT A GLANCE AT A GLANCE The 444-bed Cumberland Infirmary, The 362-bed West Cumberland The 998-bed Royal Liverpool This large 767-bed teaching hospital two miles from the city centre, Hospital, on the eastern edge of University Hospital in central in central Newcastle offers a wide provides many specialties including Whitehaven, provides services in Liverpool specialises in urology range of services, including women’s clinical oncology (cancer) and major specialties. It also offers mental (urinary tract), gastroenterology services. It also has specialist nephrology (kidneys). It was the first health services. (stomach), renal (kidney), children’s units. hospital to open under the Private haematology (blood) and Finance Initiative in 2000. PUBLIC TRANSPORT ophthalmology (eyes). It is also a PUBLIC TRANSPORT Nearest train station: Whitehaven, centre for research. Nearest train station: Newcastle, PUBLIC TRANSPORT two miles. one mile. Nearest train station: Carlisle, Buses: Traveline 0870 608 2 608. PUBLIC TRANSPORT Buses: Traveline 0870 608 2 608. two miles. Nearest train station: Lime Street, Buses: Traveline 0870 608 2 608. PARKING 15 minutes walk. PARKING Charges apply. Buses: Merseytravel hotline Limited. Charges apply. PARKING 0151 236 7676. Charges apply. PARKING Phone for details. How does your Hospital Trust score? What do the ratings mean?

Check against the coloured chart to see how your Hospital Trust measures up. Go to the next page for more on what these ratings mean.

Healthcare Commission statistics Patients’ views The overall ratings A new approach to assess and report on the

s The Healthcare Commission is the independent performance of healthcare organisations has t e r s

Excellent o e m f i s

d regulator of healthcare, and is responsible for been developed for 2006, which looks at a

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much broader range of issues. In autumn 2006,

v assessing and reporting on the performance f t n t G a i i n i d o r n l o i r

a a t n e o n t i p Average i a of healthcare organisations on an annual the Healthcare Commission will publish the

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t e basis. For NHS Trusts, this involves issuing assessment of the performance of healthcare t l Below average e e n a e i n n l

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G g l e s g t i i e a s m A a n t n an annual performance rating. This overall organisations for England for the year ending c r i p p e S n a a t

Poor t s n o c e a R p f a u o c a G l n n

R rating is made up of a number of performance March 2006. C O M H I M A I C indicators. The indicators show how Trusts are doing in relation to some of the main targets Healthcare Commission statistics Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre Hospitals NHS Trust ### G G GGG GGGG set by the Government for the NHS, as well Inpatient waiting times Central Manchester and Manchester Children’s as other broader measures of performance, This column shows how well your hospitals University Hospitals NHS Trust ##$ G G G G G GGGG such as information from surveys of staff and have done at getting patients into hospital for patients. The indicators chosen for publication treatment as quickly as possible. The target East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust ##$ G G GGG GGGG in this leaflet are those that the Healthcare they were measured against was six months Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust ##$ Commission and Department of Health believe from the time when the hospital doctor G G G GGGGGG matter most to patients. decided that treatment was necessary. Morecambe Bay Hospitals NHS Trust #$$ G G G G G G G GG www.nhs.uk has the latest waiting times The 2005 NHS performance ratings were information. Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust ### GGGGG GGGG published in July 2005 and cover the year ending 31 March 2005. They place NHS Cancelled operations North Cumbria Acute Hospitals NHS Trust ##$ G G G GGG GGG Trusts in England into one of four This column shows how often your hospitals categories: cancelled booked operations for non-medical Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust ### GGG G GGGGG • Trusts with the highest levels of performance reasons (e.g. equipment being out of action, are awarded a rating of three stars. no bed being available or staff being away). • Trusts with mostly high levels of performance, but not consistent across all areas, are Outpatient waiting times awarded a rating of two stars. This column shows how well your hospitals • Where there is some cause for concern have done at getting patients into hospital regarding particular areas, Trusts are for a clinic appointment following GP referral. awarded a rating of one star. The target they were measured against was • Trusts that have shown the poorest levels 13 weeks from GP referral. www.nhs.uk has of performance receive a rating of zero stars. the latest waiting times information.

If a Trust has a low rating because of poor Management of risk performance on a number of key targets and All hospitals need to make sure they are indicators, this does not mean that a hospital reducing the possibility of things going wrong is unsafe, that it does not contain some very and, if something does go wrong, making good clinical services or that the staff are not sure it won’t happen again. The Department working hard in often difficult circumstances. of Health issues standards to help hospitals It does mean that performance must be achieve this, and this column shows how well improved in a number of key areas. your services have done on achieving these.

Though regulated by the Healthcare Commission, published performance ratings for Independent Sector Treatment Centres and private hospitals are not currently available. Please turn the page for an explanation of the other ratings. For more information, please see individual hospitals' websites, www.dh.gov.uk or www.healthcarecommission.org.uk What does the medical jargon mean?

Here’s a guide to some of the medical language used in this booklet.

Hospital cleanliness How long did you wait to be seen after you What’s a specialty? Once a year, hospitals have to assess their had arrived in outpatients? Were the reasons There are several different specialties, each with its own team of doctors. levels of cleanliness and report them to the for any waits explained? For example, some doctors will specialise in treating orthopaedics (bones Department of Health. This column shows and joints), while others will specialise in ophthalmology (eyes). how your hospitals have done. Cleanliness and comfort How clean were the outpatient department What’s an outpatient appointment? MRSA infection and toilets? Was it easy to find your way An outpatient appointment is when you visit the hospital to see a doctor One of the things that patients are most around? Patients were also asked how they who will examine you so that she or he can diagnose what the problem is worried about is catching the infection MRSA felt the hospital staff had treated them – for and think about what the best treatment will be. (Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus). example, did hospital staff talk in front of you It can be a very nasty infection, but it is as if you were not there, and did staff respect What’s a day case? actually quite rare in comparison to the your privacy? Simple treatments are often done as day cases. This means you will not number of patients who receive hospital care normally stay overnight. each year. People do not always catch it in Information provided hospital – they may already have it before they Patients were asked questions about how What’s inpatient treatment? enter hospital. But hospitals have to record all satisfied they were with information they Inpatient treatment is when you go into hospital to have your treatment MRSA bloodstream infections, whether or not received. Were the reasons for tests or and stay overnight. patients have contracted them in hospital. treatment explained? Were you told what This column gives an indication of the number to expect? Were you given information about What’s elective treatment? of cases of MRSA bloodstream infections and the medication that was prescribed for you? Most treatment is routine or ‘elective’. This simply means your treatment whether the Hospital Trust has been successful Were you given the name of someone you is planned in advance rather than you needing emergency treatment. in reducing the number of cases since last could contact if you were concerned after Routine treatment usually takes place during normal working hours, year. MRSA rates may vary depending on the you left? although occasionally some hospitals work at weekends. type of patients the hospital treats. You can find out more about MRSA infection from the About the Healthcare Commission What’s a GP with a Special Interest? Department of Health website (www.dh.gov.uk), The Healthcare Commission exists to promote Sometimes, rather than going to a hospital or clinic, you may be able to which includes a complete breakdown of all improvements in the quality of healthcare and choose to be treated by a GP with a Special Interest. These are GPs who Trusts’ rates and A simple guide to MRSA. Or public health in England. It has a wide range have extensive training and experience in their specialty as well as their visit www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk, the NHS Direct of responsibilities, all aimed at improving the GP qualifications. website. quality of healthcare. These responsibilities include assessing the performance of healthcare What patients said organisations, awarding annual performance In 2005 the Healthcare Commission published ratings for the NHS and coordinating reviews the results of a survey of patients who had of healthcare by others. For more information attended outpatient clinics. These columns about the Healthcare Commission, go to include the results against questions that asked: www.healthcarecommission.org.uk or ring 0845 601 3012. Access and waiting How long did you have to wait for an appointment to be seen in a hospital clinic? Was the appointment cancelled? Were you given a choice of times for your appointment?