We aim to deliver high quality, person-centred, safe, acute hospital services for people with learning disabilities and to support this, the Trust has a dedicated Learning Disabilities Team.

The Learning Disability Team help improve the Trust’s provision for patients with learning disabilities and their families, making it easier for patients with learning disabilities to access hospital services.

The team also provide patients with learning disabilities an advocate to offer advice and guidance, not only to the patients themselves but also to the staff involved in providing their care.

Specifically, the team support patients with learning disabilities, their families/carers and hospital staff working with patients with learning disabilities to:

• Plan for admission, treatment and discharge
• Provide specialist advice, guidance on the provision of reasonable adjustments to ensure fair access and outcomes, and the management of complex or difficult situations

Making reasonable adjustments to ensure fair access and outcomes could include:

• Providing accessible information such as easy read information sheets, photographs and Makaton
• Offering first and last or double appointments
• Using a Health Passport to share information about the patient and their health with medical teams
• Ensuring effective care that involves the patient and their family/carer in the decision-making process around treatment and discharge

For a virtual tour of Russells Hall Hospital before your visit, please click here.

How to access the service

This service is available at:

• Corbett Hospital Outpatient Centre
• Guest Hospital Outpatient Centre
• Russells Hall Hospital

Where to find us

• Hospital-wide, Corbett Hospital Outpatient Centre
• Hospital-wide, Guest Hospital Outpatient Centre
• Hospital-wide, Russells Hall Hospital

Useful Information

Telephone: 01384 456111 extension 4205

Email: dgft.learning.disabilityteam@nhs.net

Working hours: Monday to Friday 8am to 4pm

Key staff (if required)

Clinical directorate

• Corporate

Team

• Paula Harris – Lead nurse
• Emily Davies – Sister
• Lynda Sprague – Sister
• Chloe Holt – Clinical Support Worker

Patient information leaflets

Breast screening (Easy Read version) –

Coming for a blood test – Children’s Ward (Easy Read version) –

Coming for a blood test (Easy Read version) –

Keeping safe (Easy Read version) –

Before your surgery, you will have an appointment with one of our Pre-Assessment nurses. An appointment will be sent out to you in the post.

Pre-Assessment ensures each patient requiring an operation is individually assessed in order to make sure they are fit for an anaesthetic and surgery. This will involve you completing a health questionnaire and a consultation with a Pre-Assessment nurse. Sometimes you may also need to see an anaesthetist.

There will also be basic tests including blood pressure, temperature, height and weight. After this, patients may require additional tests e.g. blood tests, or heart tracing (electrocardiogram).

In some instances, you may be asked to have further investigations, or there may be a need to come back for a further appointment. Making sure your surgery is safe and successful is our priority. Whenever possible, we will try and keep journeys to the hospital to a minimum.

Pre-Assessment is also an opportunity for you to ask any questions you may have. The Pre-Assessment staff will provide information on eating and drinking before surgery and give you instructions regarding any medications you may take.

Useful Information

MRSA drop-in service is available 08:30-17:30 Monday – Friday

Pre-Assessment service is based at Russells Hall Hospital, Ground floor, North wing. The department is open 08:30-17:30 Monday – Friday

For further information, contact Surgical Pre-Assessment on 01384 456111 ext. 3301.

Children and Young People

A Continuing Care package is a term used when a child or young person has complex health needs arising from disability, accident or illness that cannot be met by existing universal or specialist services alone.

These complex health needs could be the result of congenital conditions, long-term, life-limiting or life-threatening conditions, disability or the after-effects of serious illness or injury.

Children and Young people with continuing care needs, may also need input from other statutory agencies such as Social Care and Education. This would be highlighted in the child or young person’s EHCP (Education, Health and Care Plan)

Continuing Care is for children and young people up to their 18^th birthday.  Thereafter, the NHS Adults Continuing HealthCare framework is to be used.

What we do – The continuing care process comprises of an assessment of the child or young person’s health care needs, a multi-agency decision-making panel and then, if found to be eligible, the commissioning of a package of care.

This package of care is bespoke to the child or young person.

How to access the service

Anyone can enquire about the process however a pre-assessment checklist must be completed by a professional (e.g. a school health advisor/school nurse, children’s community nurse, health visitor or social worker), who knows the child or young person best.  This must be sent to the Continuing Care Nurse Assessor, along with written consent from the parent/carer.

What happens next

The completed pre-assessment checklist and the consent form should be sent securely to the Continuing Care Nurse Assessor at dgft.cypcontinuingcare@nhs.net  to see if the child/young person meets the eligibility criteria, and if so, a full assessment will be undertaken.

To find out more about Continuing Care, please contact: email dgft.cypcontinuingcare@nhs.net. 

Continuing Health Care- Adults

NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) is the name given to a package of care that is arranged and funded solely by the NHS for individuals who are not in hospital but have complex on-going healthcare needs.

Intermediare Care- Adults

Complete Intermediate Care assessments for hospital in patients who are deemed are medically fit for discharge but require further therapy input to maximise their mobility and functional abilities. Furthermore, the department provides hospital avoidance beds for patients in the community to avoid hospital admissions.

How to access the service

If you are eligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare, you can receive NHS continuing healthcare in any setting, for example:

• in your own home – the NHS will pay for healthcare, such as services from a community nurse or specialist therapist, and personal care, such as help with bathing, dressing and laundry
• in a care home – as well as healthcare and personal care, the NHS will pay for your care home fees, including board and accommodation

NHS continuing healthcare is free.

To find out more about Continuing Healthcare, please contact:
Continuing Health Care The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust, 200 Tiled House Lane, Pensnett, Brierley Hill, DY5 4LE
Continuing Healthcare Team: 01384 321777

Key staff:

• Jenny Cale-Deputy Director of Operations – Place Division
• Maria Walsh- Social Worker Manager
• Jayen Dunn- Clinical Strategy Manager – Intermediate Care
• Johanne Turton- CHC Lead Nurse
• Maggie Traynor – ICT Lead Nurse
• Nikkie Howell- Deputy ICT Lead Nurse
• Dainal Hussain- Business Manager
• Manisha Chahal-Deputy Business Manager/Information & Finance Analyst

Contact the Clinical Hub when:

Patients requires an Urgent response within 2 hours (see attached clinical HUB Criteria)

Patient needs to be seen the same day, and the weekly ward round is not on that day

Patient can safely wait to be seen the next day and DES home round is not on that day (clinical HUB Criteria attached)

Contact number: 01384 322350

Email – dgft.dudleycarehomes@nhs.net

Any life threatening conditions the home will need to contact 999

The ECHT service will provide: 

• Weekly Home Round
• Work with the home to triage patients that need to be seen on the Weekly home round.
• Support with Personalised Care Plans
• Completion of the Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA)
• End of Life management plans
• Dementia diagnosis
• Referral to specialised Teams
• Effective management of Long-Term Conditions
• Linked Pharmacist Support

How to refer a resident to the ECHT Chapel Street Surgery:

Please send any New Patient details to the DGFT email address to be referred.

Any questions or queries
Call our landline 01384 322350.
Email-dgft.dudleycarehomes@nhs.net
Leave a message and someone will get back to you within 24 hrs

What is the ARRS Scheme

The Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) provides additional staff across GP Practices and Primary Care Networks (PCNs). The roles included in this scheme are:

Clinical Roles:

• Advanced Practitioners
• Dietitians
• General Practice Assistants
• First Contact Mental Health
• First Contact Physiotherapy
• First Contact Paramedics
• Nursing Associates
• Occupational Therapists
• Podiatrists

Non-clinical/Personalised Care Roles:

• Care Coordinators
• Health and Wellbeing Coaches
• Listening and Guidance Link Workers
• Social Prescribing Link Workers

How to access the service

If you are interested in knowing more about any of the above services the Primary Care Networks offer or would like to know how to access these services please contact your GP practice.

What is a PCN?

A PCN is a group of GP practices working closely together providing integrated services to their local area. They are aligned with other services such as Health and Social Care.

In Dudley there are 6 PCNs. These are:
• Brierley Hill and Amblecote
• Dudley and Netherton
• Halesowen
• Kingswinford
• Sedgley, Coseley and Gornal
• Stourbridge, Wollescote and Lye

In Dudley 3 of the 6 PCNs are supported by Dudley Group Foundation Trust (DGFT) to employ these additional staff. These are:
• Brierley Hill and Amblecote
• Dudley and Netherton
• Halesowen PCN

These 3 PCNs work closely with each other and DGFT to provide health care to patients within the PCNs.

Information of roles provided under the ARRS scheme

Clinical Roles:
Advanced Practitioners
These are Health Care Professionals that have completed extra training and qualifications, this allows them to diagnose and treat patients and provide medication if required.

Dietitians
These Health Professionals help patients by assessing, diagnosing and treating food and drink issues. They use up to date research on food, health and disease helping patients make the right decisions on lifestyle and food choices.

General Practice Assistants
These staff members provide support to practices by carrying out admin tasks as well as some basic clinical duties. The main part of their role is to support the General Practitioners (GP’s) in their day to day management of patients.

First Contact Mental Health
Mental Health Practitioners are experienced professionals who are able to support patients with either a diagnosed or undiagnosed mental health concern.

First Contact Physiotherapy
Their role is to access patients muscle, joint and soft tissue pain to make a decision on the best treatment for a patient.

First Contact Paramedics
Paramedics will deal with a wide range of medical concerns while working alongside a GP Practice. They are often the first people patients see and provide care for patients with a variety of health conditions.

Nursing Associates
These professionals provide a supporting role between Health Care Support Workers and Registered Nurses by supporting GP Practices to make sure patient appointments run smoothly.

Occupational Therapists
Therapists work with patients to increase body movement from injuries, illnesses or disabilities. They help patients to meet goals, recover and improve and maintain skills for daily living. This can be done through individual or group sessions.

Podiatrists

These professionals specialise in leg, ankle and foot care. They support patients in spotting and treating lower limb problems for patients. Podiatrists treat adults and children.

Non-clinical/Personalised Care Roles:

Care Coordinators

Care Coordinators help patients by providing them with information and putting them in contact with departments and services they may need to help support them with short or long term health conditions.

Health and Wellbeing Coaches

Health and Wellbeing coaches guide patients to increase confidence, motivation and commitment to changing the way they live their life – for example quitting smoking.

Listening and Guidance Link Workers

This service supports patients to help them make a plan of action by listening to the patient, getting to know them and understanding the situation they are struggling with.

Social Prescribing Link Workers

This service helps patients by listening to them, getting to know them and pointing them in the direction of activities, groups and services in their area that may help them.

Welcome to our maternity services. We are committed to caring for you as an individual and working in partnership with you to meet your needs. We sincerely hope you will find your pregnancy and the birth of your baby a positive and fulfilling experience.

The maternity web pages contain lots of information about the hospital and community maternity services offered by The Dudley Group.

If you have any questions or concerns, please talk to one of our midwives or matrons.

The tissue viability team provides a specialist service to patients with pressure ulcers, leg ulcers, traumatic injuries, superficial burns, abdominal wounds and many more.

• Monday to Friday – 09:00 to 17:00

The service is designed to provide specialist nurse support to adults suffering with chronic heart failure. The intention is to respond to the complex needs of the service user, whilst also supporting families and carers. The aim of the service is to control and/or alleviate heart failure symptoms by using evidence based treatment and therefore maintain or improve quality of life.

To access this service you have to be referred by your cardiologist, GP or other health professional.

Confirmation of diagnosis is required via echocardiography which your GP can organise via a referral to a cardiologist or the cardiology one stop clinic.

The service is provided in community clinics across the Dudley locality. Home visiting is also available for those with severe symptoms who are housebound and unable to attend clinic.

There is an acute heart failure nurse based at Russells Hall hospital to ensure the seamless transition for patients with a heart failure diagnosis to the community service.

How to access the service

The team is based at:

The Stourbridge Health & Social Care Centre,

John Corbett Drive,

Stourbridge. DY8 4JB

You can contact the team on: 01384 323158 during the hours of 8am – 4pm (7 days per week including bank holidays).

For out-of-hours or emergency calls contact NHS 111. Please call 999 if you are experiencing chest pain.

We provide a comprehensive range of surgical services for both emergency and elective surgical problems. There is a team of 12 consultant surgeons who have experience in all types of general surgery including laparoscopic (keyhole) surgery.

In addition, each consultant also has a specialist interest in one or more surgical sub-specialties and they work closely with our trained clinical nurse specialists working in the fields of:

• Breast surgery
• Colorectal surgery (stoma care team)
• Upper GI surgery
• Vascular surgery (rehabilitation support following amputation)

We provide specialist surgical wards with highly trained surgical nurses and clinical nurse specialist input. We also have dedicated surgical post-operative high dependency units for all patients who undergo major surgery.

How to access the service

Location – First floor, west wing, Russells Hall Hospital

Telephone numbers

• 01308 456111 Extension (1886 or 1850)

Visiting times

Surgical wards

• 16.00-20.00

Surgical high dependency unit

• 15.00-16.00
• 19.00-20.00

Intensive therapy unit

• Open visiting

Key staff (if required)

Management team

• Sandy Shiralkar – Medical service head

Nursing leads

• Sara Davis – Matron

Miss S MacLeod – Consultant

Mr Olu Oluwajobi – Consultant

Mr R Patel – Consultant

Mr C Sellahewa – Consultant

Antonio Santos – Consultant

Velin Voynov – Consultant

Mr Akinfemi Akingboye – Consultant Laparoscopic Colorectal & General Surgeon

Mr A Kawesha – Consultant

Mr P Stonelake – Consultant