MOVING is underway as Glasgow's new super hospital prepares to open its doors to over 1000 patients.

 

Four of Glasgow's hospitals are beginning the process of closing as they prepare to move into one of Europe's largest hospital complexes - the new South Glasgow University Hospital- which will begin treating patients from Monday 27 May.

The Southern General, the Victoria Infirmary, Western Infirmary and the Royal Hospital for Sick Children (Yorkhill) will begin transferring around 1000 patients to the new £842m hospital while continuing to treat emergency cases.

As Scotland's largest health board with 1109 beds and around 10,000 staff, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has been carefully planning the big move for months.

An extra 410 nursing shifts have been scheduled, along with 100 extra portering and domestic staff shifts for the move period which will run until 14 June when the outpatient services at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children is the last to close.

The operation is so far running smoothly for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. A spokeswoman said: "...................................................."

The A&E at the new hospital is expected to begin operating on 2 May as the other hospitals begin a staggered closing process of their departments and A&E services.

Accident and emergency departments will continue seeing patients until 8am on the day of their scheduled closure. A&E at the Southern General will be the first to when it begins transferring patients on 2 May with theVictoria Infirmary A&E following suit on 16 May. The Western Infirmary A&E will close on 30 May and Royal Hospital for Sick Children (Yorkhill) will close on 10 June.

Once the doors have closed, patients who turn up in the wrong place will be greeted with a sign advising them where to go for treatment.

A total of 561,000 leaflets giving people advanced warning about the new arrangements are being delivered to every household in the NHS GGC region.

Patients who are being looked after on the wards when a hospital is shutting will be shuttled to the new SGUH by the ambulance patient transport service.

The Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) is providing a fleet of 16 vehicles dedicated to moving patients, leaving the usual 999 response team intact.

A spokesman for the Scottish Ambulance Service said: "A team of dedicated staff and vehicles has been established, and they will operate from a separate deployment centre in Glasgow, managed by a dedicated control centre in Paisley.

"This means normal ambulance cover will be unaffected, responding to 999 demand as usual. The move vehicles are not being taken from existing cover but will come from those due to be decommissioned as well as new vehicles that will be used before they are due to replace existing resources."