There are seven theatres that make up the Broomfield Theatre suite. Divided between General, Vascular, Urology, Maxillofacial and Orthopaedic surgery specialities.
The theatre practitioners are comprised of trained nurses and Operating Dept Practitioners. In addition the trained staff are supported by a team of Health Care Support Workers, these staff provide valuable assistance by escorting patients to and from the theatre department and by supporting the trained staff in the surgical setting.
Anaesthetic support is a team of practitioners linked to theatres who support the anaesthetist in a diversity of clinical areas. As well as providing anaesthetic support within theatres, they support in the Accident and Emergency resuscitation department, and respond to the cardiac arrest alarm calls throughout the hospital. They are also required to provide support to other areas including The Linden Centre, the X-RAY department, the CT scanning dept and assist in the transfer of acute clinical emergencies to other hospitals.
Each speciality has a team lead by a senior Theatre practitioner, who ensures that the service provided is patient focused, and consultant specific. Theatre staff are supported by specific training that ensures they are able to care for an anaesthetised patient in a critical care setting.
There are two state of the art orthopaedic theatres, and overall there are 4 theatres that provide lamina flow to the operating area, this ensures a reduced risk of intraoperative infection.
Recovery staff are provided to care for surgical patients post operatively, and these staff are trained in the critical care setting to ensure patients recover safely from the anaesthetic that they have received.
All patients are carefully monitored throughout their stay in the theatre department and Theatres strive to provide the highest quality of care.
Broomfield theatres provide a 24-hour service to the community of Essex. The service is supported by a dedicated team of professionals who have been trained to ensure that both orthopaedic and general trauma are prioritised, ensuring patients receive the highest quality of care at all times.
St. Andrew's Centre is a special regional unit for plastic surgery and burns covering Essex and North East London for plastic surgery, Essex, Herts, North London and Kent for hand trauma surgery, North London and East Anglia for adult burns, and all of South East England for children's burns.
The unit comprises of six theatres, five of which provide a comprehensive plastic surgery service offering specialist treatment in hand trauma, reconstructive and cleft palate surgeries.
The sixth is located within the purpose built burns intensive care unit, which also includes a burns admissions theatre.
The operating theatre departments' multi-disciplinary team offers a 24-hour service, which provides a safe, supportive, informative environment in the care for individuals undergoing surgical procedures.
The new unit currently has three theatres and the associated ward (Oak ward) and recovery areas. There was also a "satellite" theatre in which ophthalmic surgery was undertaken. A further evolution of the day surgery unit has recently been completed. The ophthalmic surgery services have been incorporated into the main day surgery unit and the ophthalmic theatre has been redeveloped for use by all surgical specialties to include a bright ward area (Acorn Ward) that is designed to accommodate the needs of all patients, particularly children.
Many different types of procedures are carried out within the day surgery unit from general surgery, urology, plastic, oral and ophthalmic surgery to chronic pain procedures. Due to the advances in medical technology and patient care, many procedures that used to require a stay in hospital of days, if not longer, are now carried out as day case procedures. In the last year over 6000 patients were treated within the day surgery unit.
Technological advancements mean better treatment for patients, shorter times for recovery and greater efficiency in the utilisation of available resources. One area where this is clearly demonstrated is in the treatment of prostate conditions. The day surgery unit is one of the first units in the country to offer laser treatment for some prostate conditions. This treatment enables the patient to go home on the same day whereas previous treatment dictated that they had to stay in hospital for several days.
The day surgery unit has highly trained nursing staff who specialise in a particular area, such as surgery, ward care and pre assessment. The trained nursing staff are supported by a highly dedicated team of health care support workers, who help to ensure that patient care is delivered in a timely and appropriate manner.
The first stage recovery area is where the patient is sent immediately after surgery has been completed. Here, the patient is looked after by specially trained staff who ensure that the patient has recovered from the anaesthetic sufficiently, to be sent back to the ward area. If a patient undergoes a procedure using local anaesthesia (the patient is awake but the site of the operation is numbed usually by an injection) then the patient may be sent straight back to the ward from theatre, and thus avoid the recovery area.
Patients in recovery are closely monitored to ensure that they are not in discomfort and are awake enough to be returned to the ward.
Before patients attends for Surgery they will be asked to attend the pre-assessment clinic where their health and social circumstances are assessed. This is to ensure they are healthy enough to undergo the procedure, and it gives each patient the opportunity to ask any questions relating to their procedure, to help alleviate any anxieties. Each patient has their blood pressure and pulse taken,and their height and weight measured. In some cases, depending on the procedure, they may have further investigations. Each patient is asked a range of questions and they are given any relevant information either verbally or in the form of handouts.
Once the process is complete, usually the patient is declared fit for the coming procedure. If there is anything that needs further investigation, then the pre assessment team are able to book the relevant investigations or arrange a consultation with the relevant medical teams. If the patient is declared fit at this pre assessment stage, then admission dates will normally be discussed where possible, and the patient often leaves with a firm date for their surgery. If this is not possible, then the patients are told that they will be contacted very soon and the date is then set over the phone.
Infection control is an important issue within the Trust.
There are two infection control “link nurses” who attend regular Trust Infection control meetings, and feedback to the theatre staff. They conduct regular “in house” training sessions for all staff to ensure that our practices remain current and research based.
Hand hygiene, the wearing of gloves and aprons and the cleaning of equipment between each patient is mandatory.
Alcohol gel hand rub is available for use in all areas of the department and you will notice that all personnel entering or leaving the department use it routinely.
The HSDU at Broomfield Hospital is a newly upgraded department that cleans, disinfects, inspects, packs and sterilises in excess of 70,000 theatre sets and 65,000 instruments per year.
The team support 23 theatres across a range of specialties, the department is currently working towards MDD registration for our activities.
Successful registration will allow the services to expand to the PCTs, GPs and dentists.
Currently being refurbished & upgraded to include:
• A sophisticated Instrument tracking system
• Two validated class eight clean rooms for the inspection & packaging of equipment
• Nationally recognised training and qualifications for all staff
• The latest equipment and plant serviced by trained engineers
• The capability to expand and develop to cover future service need
The journey starts in the pre-admission clinic, during the week that their surgery is due to take place. Here children see the ward nurse for simple observations e.g.: pulse, temperature, weight and height. Then on to see a doctor and the play specialist.
A health care support worker (HCSW) will come from theatre to collect the child. The HCSW may move the bed up to theatre by means of a special “bed pusher”.
A paediatric nurse from the ward will accompany the child and parents/ guardian to the theatre dept. Upon arrival in the theatre reception area, only one parent/ guardian may accompany the child into the anaesthetic room, as space is limited.
In the anaesthetic room:
A parent/ guardian is encouraged, not pressurised, to stay with their child in the anaesthetic room.
Young children are encouraged to bring a toy or comforter into the anaesthetic room.
Children can wear their own pyjamas wherever possible.
A member of the ward staff will remain with parent and child in the anaesthetic room, to offer support, until the child is asleep.
The anaesthetist will have discussed the different types of anaesthesia, with you and your child on the ward, prior to surgery.
Ward staff will apply a cream to numb the skin on the back of your child's hand, at least one hour prior to surgery.
The parent can help by holding your child's hand, talking gently to comfort and reassure. (Children are often frightened when their parents cry or look worried.)
It is important for the parent to leave the anaesthetic room as soon as they are asked to.
Parents should wait on the ward while the child has their operation, or inform the ward where you can be contacted as soon as your child is awake in recovery.
Parents will not be present during your child's operation.
In the recovery room:
The child will wake up in the care of the recovery team, in a friendly atmosphere, cared for on a one to one basis.
When the child is fully awake, the recovery nurse will contact the ward to send a parent / guardian to theatre, to sit with their child.
Parents are encouraged, not pressurised, to visit their child in the recovery room.
Guidelines for parents:
Upon arrival at the theatre doors, parents should ring the intercom bell, situated to the left of the main doors.
Parents should wait in the theatre reception area until a member of the theatre team is available to escort you to the recovery room.
Reasons for excluding parents from the anaesthetic room are safety, the presence of other patients who may be critically ill or a lack of space in the recovery area itself.
Some children take longer than others to wake up from a general anaesthetic.
At any time during your visit to the recovery room, parents may be asked to leave, and must do so immediately, and will be told the reason as soon as possible.
Parents can best help their child by sitting at their bedside, cuddling them (if the type of operation allows) and talking gently to comfort and reassure.
If a parent feels uncomfortable, distressed or ill in the recovery room they do not need to stay, just inform a member of the recovery staff.
Once the surgery has been completed, the child will wake up in the recovery room, where they will be cared for by a qualified theatre practitioner on a one to one basis.
Once surgery is complete, the anaesthetist and theatre practitioner will take the child into the recovery area, where they will be cared for by a qualified theatre practitioner, on a one to one basis, until they are fully awake. In the recovery room, any pain or nausea will be dealt with The recovery nurse will contact the ward when you the child is ready to leave their care.
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