Staff and services
SWLEOC is a ring-fenced, semi-autonomous, elective orthopaedic centre that is situated on the Epsom General Hospital campus. The centre is hosted by the Epsom and St Helier Trust. SWLEOC directly employs 321.92 WTE staff. No agency staff are employed by the centre. SWLEOC’s payroll is managed through the Epsom and St Helier Trust.
Physiotherapy
In the early years, the centre’s physiotherapy service was contracted to the Central Surrey Health. The centre now employs its own in-house therapy team who are involved in all stages of patient care.
Medical
For medical staff, there are several models of employment. When the centre first opened, four in-house anaesthetists were appointed as SWLEOC employees. This team was supplemented by visiting anaesthetists, from the base hospitals, who came to the centre with their surgeon colleagues. The in-house anaesthetic department has now grown to a team of nine substantive consultant members who are supported by eight visiting anaesthetists from the base hospitals. Consultant Intensivist staffing is achieved through employment of eighteen consultant intensive care specialists who work twelve-hour shifts and are employed as “bank staff”. The Consultant Intensivists are employees of the base Trusts and this link with base Trust intensive care services has facilitated transfer of patients, on the rare occasions when early rehabilitation is precluded by medical complications.
Surgery
When the centre opened, one surgeon was employed on a part-time basis, to be the centre’s Medical Director. A second surgeon was employed on a part-time basis, to establish and run the centres research and outcomes programme. All surgical activity was undertaken by visiting surgeons who remained employees of their base Trusts. The centre was cross charged, by the relevant base Trust, for the sessions that their surgeon worked at SWLEOC. The centre now has an academic surgical team with four full-time and several part-time members. Fifty-two surgeons operate at the centre. The centre does not admit patients for tumour surgery. Infected revision cases are undertaken by the team at St George’s hospital. This team also provides a sector-wide service for the management of periprosthetic fractures.
Research
In addition to the consultant surgical and medical staff, the centre employs seven surgical research fellows. Two are post CCT senior fellows. The five junior fellows have completed their foundation years and are looking to secure Core Surgical or Orthopaedic specialist training posts. The surgical fellows are supervised by members of the academic surgical team and spend time with designated visiting consultants.
Procurement
SWLEOC outsources all procurement through an external provider to secure best prices for equipment, implants and instruments.
IT
SWLEOC’s IT is provided through a combination of the Epsom and St Helier Trust’s IT infrastructure and bespoke solutions that are specific to the centre. The Trust provides access to their iSoft system to access PACS imaging and laboratory services. The three bespoke systems used at SWLEOC are:
1) Lifebox – For pre-admission patient assessment
2) Bluespier – SWLEOC’s local electronic patient record for in-patient treatment.
3) EOC Outcome – SWLEOC’s Outcomes and research database.