Epsom Hospital
| Epsom General Hospital | |
|---|---|
| Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust | |
 | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Epsom, Surrey, England, United Kingdom |
| Organisation | |
| Care system | Public NHS |
| Type | District General Hospital |
| Affiliated university | St Helier Hospital |
| Links | |
| Website | http://www.epsom-sthelier.nhs.uk |
| Lists | Hospitals in England |
Epsom General Hospital is a hospital in Epsom, Surrey, England.[1] It is part of the Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust along with the nearby St Helier Hospital and Sutton Hospital, which in December 2013 was announced as one of 29 trusts out of 143 that had, according to the Dr Foster Hospital Guide, a hospital standardised mortality ratio (a measure of how many people would be expected to die with the actual rate of death) of 92.05. Dr Ruth Charlton, the trust’s joint medical director, who leads on the Epsom site, added: "It's excellent news to see our ongoing commitment to our patients' safety is really paying off."[2]
Description of the site
The hospital is situated on Dorking Road 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) south east of the centre of Epsom. It contains an accident and emergency and a range of diagnostic and supporting services including pathology, radiology (including CT, MRI and ultrasound), the South West Elective Orthopaedic Centre (SWLEOC) which calls itself a "centre of excellence",[3] vascular diagnostic services and an acute psychiatric facility operated by Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.[1]
History
The first hospital in Epsom opened in 1873, with eight beds. The current building opened in 1890 as part of the poor laws. It was staffed by volunteers until the establishment of the National Health Service in 1948.[1]
In 2011, it was revealed that the hospital was at risk of losing its A&E services as part of a Better Services Better Value (BSBV) programme, which would rationalise hospital facilities across Surrey and south west London.[4] In 2013, local MP Chris Grayling said that constituents should show their support for retaining these services at the hospital.[5]
Radio station
The hospital has its own radio service, "Epsom Hospital Radio", which is a registered charity and is staffed by volunteers.[6] Since 1979, its mascot has been Ruddles The Bear, which was named after a competition in the Epsom Guardian.[7]
Criticism
In 2013, it was discovered that staff at the hospital and the neighbouring St Helier Hospital were accidentally overpaid by £294,000. A spokesman for the Epsom and St Helier trust responded by saying they "actively pursue overpayments via debt collection agencies who have demonstrated a very successful recovery rate."[8]
See also
- Epsom Cluster, a group of psychiatric hospitals near Epsom
References
51°19′31″N 0°16′26″W / 51.325359°N 0.27387°W
- ^ a b c "Epsom Hospital". Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust. Retrieved 18 October 2013.
- ^ "Epsom, St Helier and Sutton hospitals among safest in country, says new report". Newsquest. Retrieved 12 December 2013.
- ^ "The EOC". South West Elective Orthopaedic Centre. Retrieved 18 October 2013.
- ^ Mole, Charlie (17 February 2011). "Join our campaign to protect Epsom Hospital". Epsom Guardian. Retrieved 1 November 2013.
- ^ "Show feeling' on Epsom Hospital, urges Surrey MP". BBC News. 18 March 2013. Retrieved 1 November 2013.
- ^ "Local Charities". Whatsoninepsom.com. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
- ^ "Ruddles The Bear". Epsom Hospital Radio. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
- ^ Sleigh, Sophia (1 November 2013). "Epsom and St Helier hospitals' staff accidentally overpaid by nearly £300,000 last year". Epsom Guardian. Retrieved 1 November 2013.