A Unique Venture

A group of doctors has achieved many a clinician's dream by opening their own hospital…

Based just a mile south of Manchester City Centre, the £13M Bridgewater Hospital is believed to be the only truly independent healthcare facility of its kind. It offers day-case diagnoses, procedures and operations including ophthalmology, gynaecological and vascular investigations and treatments in addition to those for upper and lower gastro-intestinal disorders such as indigestion, bleeding or pain.

Leading specialist healthcare providers including Manchester Fertility Services and the Manchester Sports Medicine Clinic are already operating from the hospital and there are plans for a group of general practitioners to offer a private GP service. The fully digital diagnostic suite includes an MRI scanner. Business Development Manager Suzanne Stolberg explained that, unlike other facilities, the Bridgewater Hospital has been funded by clinicians who have raised 25% of the start-up costs themselves, with additional backing from a bank and private investors.

Patients can choose to pay directly for their healthcare, or be treated through insurance companies - and the hospital is also bidding for a number of NHS contracts. The hospital's facilities include three operating theatres and Theatre Manager Belinda O'Brien was given what she described as a 'once in a lifetime opportunity' to plan, staff and equip the theatre suite.
She told Inside Theatre: 'It seems incredible now - from watching the construction teams move onto the site to seeing our first
patients through the door. The theatre team here is amazing - they all work cohesively, bringing their abundance of knowledge and experience gained from a number of different establishments. I am very proud of them!' Belinda explained that the hospital has been designed to set a standard for 21st century healthcare in terms of its facilities and service.


Top: Belinda O’Brien (centre) with members of the theatre staff.
Above left: Radiographers with the radiation protection gowns
supplied by Anetic Aid.
Above right: Ward staff at the Bridgewater.

Anetic Aid's QA4 Powered Day Surgery Systems are in all of the theatres - and the company has also supplied tourniquet equipment, stainless steel furniture and X-ray gowns. Said Belinda: 'When it came to choosing a day surgery trolley, it just
had to be multi-purpose - we didn't want to have something different for every type of surgery. It was also a very competitive price. 'Anetic Aid has been great - really supportive with this phenomenal task of bringing it all together so we could open on time.
'Some people may have thought it couldn't be done - but here we are!'

Article courtesy of Anetic Aid

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