NHS Lanarkshire is involving stakeholders in the next step towards improving Trauma and Orthopaedic Services.

An option appraisal event will be held on 20 March 2018 as part of plans to create centres of excellence for both trauma and planned (elective) orthopaedic surgery.

The plans were consulted on as part of Achieving Excellence – Lanarkshire’s healthcare strategy, which was approved by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport Shona Robinson in May 2017.

Dr Jane Burns, medical director for acute services, said: “Achieving Excellence set out how improvements for patients could best be achieved by delivering trauma and elective surgery on separate sites.

“This will deliver a range of benefits, both in terms of clinical outcomes and the effective use of highly-skilled staff.”

Currently, both trauma and planned (elective) surgery are performed at University Hospital Wishaw and University Hospital Hairmyres.

University Hospital Wishaw will be the Lanarkshire centre of excellence for trauma surgery. This fits with proposals to create a major trauma network across Scotland.

The option appraisal in March 2018 will consider whether the best location for planned (elective) orthopaedic surgery is University Hospital Hairmyres or University Hospital Monklands.

Members of the public and clinical staff will be involved in the option appraisal. A report on the option appraisal will be considered at a Board meeting of NHS Lanarkshire later this year where a final decision will be made.

Most patients with an injury will continue to be seen at the emergency department of their local hospital. Only the most complex trauma cases which require surgery will be taken to Wishaw.