Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust 'Rocky Appeal'

 £3 MILLION ROCKY APPEAL for new state of the art DIGITAL KEYHOLE OPERATING THEATRES

Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust ROCKY APPEAL is taking on a new challenge to raise £3 MILLION for state-of-the-art Digital Keyhole Operating Theatres.  These will have features which are the first of their kind in the United Kingdom and will be sited in the new, re-developed Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth. 

Is keyhole surgery available at Portsmouth Hospitals?

Thousands of patients have already benefited from keyhole surgery in Portsmouth.  Many operations previously done with a large cut through the skin are now being performed through small 1/2 inch keyholes (known as laparoscopy) or through natural orifices like the mouth or urethra (known as endoscopy).  This allows quicker recovery as well as less pain and infection.  These operations may be for gallstones, kidney stones, hernia, appendicitis,  heartburn, bowel tumours and bleeding, gynaecology and joint problems.  It has meant many planned procedures can now be done safely as day-cases.  Patients usually prefer this and and it is a cost-effective use of NHS resources.

Why do we need these digital keyhole theatres?

Recent advances in digital video and computer technology have vastly improved the precision, efficiency and safety of keyhole surgery.  We have all seen the better images on our television screens when we move from analogue to digital.  So it is with surgery.  These theatres allow more patients to be treated in the same period because they are more efficient.  Waiting times are reduced and infection risks are less.  Conditions previously challenging to treat with conventional keyhole surgery, can now benefit from these theatres.  These include early and advanced cancers (including colon, gullet, stomach, liver, kidney, prostate and uterus), donor transplants, joint replacements, vascular diseases, complex hernias and abdominal emergencies.  Enhancements including endoscopic ultrasound and specialist endoscopes will allow the surgeon to 'see' more clearly and remove tumours more precisely. 

The  new theatres will become a centre for training - Clinical Excellence in Laparoscopic and Endoscopic Surgery, called SCALPEL (Solent Centre for Advanced Laparoscopic and Endoscopic Learning).  This centre could have the best expertise and facilities for endoscopic surgery for patients in Hampshire.  We will provide surgical and nursing staff with specialist training in the latest procedures and share best practice through live video-conferencing with other centres world-wide.

Who will benefit and use these theatres?

The world of keyhole and endoscopic surgery is rapidly advancing and it is likely that in future, most operations will be done this way.  It is therefore possible that if any of us need surgery in the near future, whether for a simple or serious condition, we could have keyhole surgery as an alternative.  We want our patients in Portsmouth to benefit from these advances, and these digital theatres will allow us to offer these procedures to our patients as soon as possible.

These theatres will be used by as many specialties within our hospitals as possible to bring the benefits of keyhole surgery to the greatest number of patients.  A group of specialist surgeons and endoscopists have been involved with this project from the start.  The team includes Mr Simon Holmes & Mr Lemke Solomon (Urology), Mr Amjad Parvaiz (Colorectal), Mr Chris Guyer (Gynaecology), Dr Pradeep Bhandari (Gastroenterology), Mr Andrew Cossey (Orthopaedics), Dr Anthony Higginson (Endoscopic Ultrasound) and Mr Simon Toh (Upper GI Surgery).  These doctors have vast experience in performing and training in endoscopic surgery, and will build on their expertise through the use of these theatres in the new hospital.

There are several versions of these theatres on the market but we intend to install the best available - with the ability to include advances in robotics and imaging as they become available.  Time is short as the new-build hospital is well advanced and we need to include these theatres into the design before completion.

We believe this is a unique once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the people of Portsmouth, South East Hampshire and beyond, to contribute to an exciting development for their new hospital and leave a lasting legacy for future generations.  You may be interested to know that since the new appeal began we have managed to raise £950,000.

My sincere thanks for all your interest in, and support of the appeal, it is very much appreciated.

Mick Lyons B.E.M. 
Appeals Co-ordinator
Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust
Queen Alexandra Hospital
Cosham
Portsmouth
Hants
PO6 3LY

Telephone: 023 9228 6487
e-mail: audrey.buckner@porthosp.nhs.uk

Charity No: 1047986