UPDATE: We are pleased to inform that all of of our Theatres are operating as normal. Patients who have operations cancelled last week are being contacted and offered new appointments. Thank you for your cooperation. If you have a query about this issue, please contact 0121 685 4354 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust takes infection prevention very seriously. Evidence demonstrates that we have some of the lowest rates of infections compared to other Trusts because we actively support all patients after surgery and have dedicated monitoring around infection prevention. Our award winning Infection Prevention Team is one of the most well regarded in the UK.
During April 2016 our Infection Prevention team noted a subtle rise in surgical site infections, which while small, was higher than we expect. They immediately began to investigate these cases and found no common cause for this rise.
We conform to all national requirements for cleanliness and maintenance of all equipment and environment. However, as a precautionary measure over the weekend (4 - 5 June), we undertook an additional deep clean all of our ten operating theatres.
During this deep clean, we discovered a potential issue with our air filtration system. After expert advice we were informed this presents no risk.
We have undertaken a specialist cleaning process of our entire air filtration system and theatres. This specialist cleaning process is always routinely followed by plate testing, which will be complete in the coming days. We anticipate that all of our ten operating theatres will be open as normal on Monday 13 June.
Unfortunately, 187 patient procedures have been rescheduled as a result of this decision. We have contacted every patient personally and offered them the earliest appointment possible. We understand the inconvenience that this causes and we only ever cancel procedures if absolutely necessary. Patient safety is our highest priority. We take a proactive approach to dealing with any issue that we consider could potentially compromise patient safety. Cancelling procedures is always a difficult decision to make, but we believe it is the right decision in this case.
Support
We have contacted all patients affected by this issue. If anyone requires further support, please contact 0121 685 4354 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Safety at The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital
We want to reassure you that our hospital is a very safe place to be a patient. Evidence proves that our infection rates are lower than other Trusts.
Our surgical site infection rates are low and have consistently reduced since 2009
We have one of the lowest rates in the country, just 0.2% compared to a national average of 2-5%.
We haven't had a case of MRSA bacteremia in our Trust since 2008.
The Wound Care Helpline
If you have received surgery at The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital and have any concerns about your wound, please contact our dedicated Wound Care Helpline on 0121 685 4354.
