We recently made the difficult decision to suspend visiting to our hospital until further notice except in the below exceptional circumstances, to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.
Read more information about restrictions…
We recognise the impact that a long stay in hospital can have on families and the importance of maintaining strong communication. Our ward staff are keeping in touch with patients’ next of kin directly and our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) can help pass on personal messages from family and friends.
We recently made the difficult decision to suspend visiting to our hospital until further notice except in the below exceptional circumstances, to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.
Read more information about restrictions…
We recognise the impact that a long stay in hospital can have on families and the importance of maintaining strong communication. Our ward staff are keeping in touch with patients’ next of kin directly and our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) can help pass on personal messages from family and friends.
The Queen Alexandra Hospital is located just on the hill slopes of Portsdown Hill overlooking Portsmouth. It is conveniently situated for both the M27 and A3M.
Family members and carers play an important role in supporting patients during an episode of ill health. We are committed to the active involvement of family members, friends and carers during a hospital stay. Family members and carers play an important role in supporting patients during an episode of ill health.
More information on visiting hospital for an appointment.
If you've had experience of using our services and would like to make a comment then please contact the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS). Your views are very important to us and we would like to hear where you think improvements are needed or where things have gone so well that you would like to share your thanks or gratitude with the staff involved. When things have not gone so well then you can be sure that we want to hear from you, so please get in touch with PALS.
During your stay in hospital you will meet a number of different members of staff. All members of staff wear name badges, but if you are not sure who someone is or what they do, please feel free to ask them to introduce themselves and explain what they do.
If you have any questions about your treatment, please ask a doctor or a nurse.
There are lots of opportunities for you to get involved with the Trust, from volunteering to attending our public meetings, our Annual General Meeting or our hospital open day which is held every year.
We welcome and value your feedback and use the views you share with us in a number of ways to learn and make improvements as well as sharing best practice. Feedback can be provided in a number of ways.
Date: 02 December 2019
Dear colleague,
There has been a significant amount of effort from teams across our hospital, and from the health and care providers within Portsmouth and SE Hampshire, to develop plans which will help to alleviate the high levels of bed occupancy we have been experiencing of late. The bed occupancy pressures have a significant impact on our Emergency Department (ED) and we know this is one of the main reasons for the number of ambulance handover delays we experience. Although all patients are seen and assessed within minutes of arrival, at our busiest times their experience is not what we would like and the pressure this places on our team within the ED is significant.
While we wait to see the effect of the plans which are in development, we should recognise the improvements we are starting to see at our front door. The GP redirection pilot continues to go from strength to strength with at least 30 patients per day having the opportunity to see a GP for their condition at a surgery close to the QA, rather than waiting within the ED. Our Frailty Assessment Unit (FAU) is also working well, with an average of 9 patients per day accessing the unit. Our Ambulatory Emergency Care (AEC) unit is routinely taking an additional 10 patients per day, in addition to the high numbers they see already, directly from our ED. The collective effort from all will make a real difference and enable the occupancy levels within ED to improve.
On Wednesday I was delighted to attend the launch of an exciting new joint initiative with the University of Portsmouth and Clinical Research Network Wessex. The Supporting Innovation and Growth in Healthcare Technologies (SIGHT) project will give small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) the support they need to develop new and innovative ways of diagnosing and treating patients, providing access to patient groups, clinicians and academics.
The SIGHT project is yet another opportunity for us to build on our 10-year relationship with the University of Portsmouth, including the knowledge and expertise that we already share. You may recall from my message a few weeks ago that earlier this month we signed a new strategic partnership agreement between our organisations which allows us to build on our current strengths, both academically and clinically. The SIGHT project is another fantastic example of how, through working collaboratively, we can fast-track innovations for the benefit of our patients and communities, and potentially across the NHS.
Earlier this week I met with Junior Doctors Mess Presidents Dr Matt Smith and Dr Hayley Magill and discussed ways that we could work together to improve some of the facilities available to our junior medical teams, as part of our well-being agenda. The current Junior Doctors Mess on E level is scheduled to be re-provided on B level, and following the meeting I was pleased to hear that the move should be completed by the end of December.
Finally, on Friday afternoon we were delighted to welcome the Sing Now Choir who performed carols in our main reception to launch a series of Christmas festivities across PHT. I would like to thank the Hospitals Charity and our League of Friends for providing our Christmas tree to brighten up the area and I suspect individuals and teams across the Trust will also be getting into the festive spirit and decorating their wards and departments.
In the weeks ahead I look forward to welcoming visitors from across our communities, including local pantomime stars, Portsmouth Football Club, choirs and carol singers. Everyone is welcome to come along to any one of the upcoming performances and full details are available here.
Thank you for the fantastic work you do each and every day, to deliver the best care possible, to each of our patients.
Mark Cubbon
Chief Executive
