Inverclyde Royal Hospital
Encyclopedia
Inverclyde Royal Hospital, which opened in 1979, is a district general hospital in Greenock
which serves a large population area of 125 000 consisting of Inverclyde
(including Greenock), Largs
, Isle of Bute
and Cowal Peninsula
. Inverclyde is one of three main hospitals in the South Clyde area, alongside Vale of Leven Hospital in Alexandria and Royal Alexandra Hospital
in Paisley and is both owned and run by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, previously NHS Argyll and Clyde.
There are regular out-patient clinics in all medical and surgical specialties, obstetrics and gynaecology, and paediatrics.
Another plan was to encourage Inverclyde as a base for acute services to preserve the future of the hospital site suggested by the then Scottish Health Minister, Andy Kerr. Many people in the Inverclyde area have been satisfied with this and have supported these plans.
However, some services such as ENT, ophthalmology, dermatology and urology were re-located. This was outlined in the ‘A Safe and Sustainable Future for Hospital Services in Inverclyde and Renfrewshire’ document. Four of these services: dermatology; ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat) Unit; urology and Vascular surgery went to the Southern General in Glasgow between August and October in 2007. A gradual process of moving the ophthalmology will occur over five years to a Glasgow site, possibly the Southern General but has been undecided yet.
Greenock
Greenock is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council area in United Kingdom, and a former burgh within the historic county of Renfrewshire, located in the west central Lowlands of Scotland...
which serves a large population area of 125 000 consisting of Inverclyde
Inverclyde
Inverclyde is one of 32 council areas used for local government in Scotland. Together with the Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire council areas, Inverclyde forms part of the historic county of Renfrewshire - which current exists as a registration county and lieutenancy area - located in the west...
(including Greenock), Largs
Largs
Largs is a town on the Firth of Clyde in North Ayrshire, Scotland, about from Glasgow. The original name means "the slopes" in Scottish Gaelic....
, Isle of Bute
Isle of Bute
Bute is an island in the Firth of Clyde in Scotland. Formerly part of the county of Buteshire, it now constitutes part of the council area of Argyll and Bute. Its resident population was 7,228 in April 2001.-Geography:...
and Cowal Peninsula
Cowal
thumb|Cowal shown within ArgyllCowal is a peninsula in Argyll and Bute in the Scottish Highlands.-Description:The northern part of Cowal is mostly the mountainous Argyll Forest Park. Cowal is separated from the Kintyre peninsula to the west by Loch Fyne, and from Inverclyde and North Ayrshire to...
. Inverclyde is one of three main hospitals in the South Clyde area, alongside Vale of Leven Hospital in Alexandria and Royal Alexandra Hospital
Royal Alexandra Hospital
Royal Alexandra Hospital can refer to:*Royal Alexandra Hospital *Royal Alexandra Hospital *Royal Alexandra Hospital, Brighton*Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children, Sydney, Australia*Royal Alexandra Hospital...
in Paisley and is both owned and run by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, previously NHS Argyll and Clyde.
Facilities
Inverclyde provides many facilities including an A&E department, general medical and surgical inpatient beds, orthopaedics, ophthalmology and psychiatry. There is a three-bed intensive care unit and a four-bed high dependency unit and an eleven bed coronary care unit; providing a unique combined critical care unit. The Larkfield Unit, a five ward annexe to IRH, contains three geriatric medicine wards (including an acute stroke unit), a secure geriatric psychiatric ward, and a rehabilitation ward for patients with physical disabilities. However there is no consultant-led maternity unit at the hospital, only a midwife-led unit - consultant obstetric services have been based at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley since 2003 - and there are no in-patient paediatric services.There are regular out-patient clinics in all medical and surgical specialties, obstetrics and gynaecology, and paediatrics.
Inverclyde downgrade
Inverclyde was initially going to face a big downgrade with the loss of the A&E department and acute surgical ward being re-located to the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley which was to save as much as £40 million by the NHS Argyll & Clyde health board. Many criticised the plans complaining that the Inverclyde was being seen as nothing more than a large health centre; being allowed to run down and close and accessibility problems trying to get to the Royal Alexandra which would have been better suited at the Southern General if the go-ahead was given.South Clyde Acute Hospitals Review
When the boundaries were redrawn, NHS Argyll & Clyde amalgamated into the new NHS board known as Greater Glasgow and Clyde. A review undertaken by the new board wanted to retain the A&E department and core inpatient services, including trauma and emergency medical receiving at Inverclyde to remain open and this was submitted to the Scottish Government for approval.Another plan was to encourage Inverclyde as a base for acute services to preserve the future of the hospital site suggested by the then Scottish Health Minister, Andy Kerr. Many people in the Inverclyde area have been satisfied with this and have supported these plans.
However, some services such as ENT, ophthalmology, dermatology and urology were re-located. This was outlined in the ‘A Safe and Sustainable Future for Hospital Services in Inverclyde and Renfrewshire’ document. Four of these services: dermatology; ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat) Unit; urology and Vascular surgery went to the Southern General in Glasgow between August and October in 2007. A gradual process of moving the ophthalmology will occur over five years to a Glasgow site, possibly the Southern General but has been undecided yet.