Scotland’s national clinical director was given the VIP treatment when he was on hand to help officially open NHS Ayrshire & Arran’s new pre-op assessment unit.
Professor Jason Leitch CBE, national clinical director for the Scottish Government, visited University Hospital Crosshouse this week to formally open the new unit.
The unit, which has been seeing patients since June this year, helps to prepare them for surgery, by assessing their physical health and ensuring they are in the best possible condition before a surgical procedure is carried out.
Fiona King, pre-operative assessment unit manager, said: “Pre-operative assessment is not new to NHS Ayrshire & Arran. It is something we have provided for patients for many years.
“However, as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, the original unit was re-purposed, and we moved to a temporary location.
“Unfortunately, this limited the number of patients we were able to assess.
“With the opening of the new unit, we are able to help even more patients get ready for surgery.”
The Pre-operative Assessment Unit, funded by Scottish Government, moved into the new modular building earlier this year, and started seeing patients in June.
It allows patients to ask questions about their surgery and helps to alleviate any anxiety.
The unit also helps with discharge planning.
Claire Burden, chief executive of NHS Ayrshire & Arran, said: “The new pre-operative assessment unit celebrates the efforts and skills of the pre-operative team who have worked tirelessly over the years to help prepare patients for surgery.
“I’d like to thank Professor Leitch for coming along to formally open the unit.”
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