Care system Public NHS Phone +44 1475 633777 | Hospital type General Hospital Number of beds 360 | |
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Location Greenock, Inverclyde, Scotland, United Kingdom Affiliated university University of West of Scotland, University of Glasgow Emergency department Yes Accident & Emergency Address Larkfield Rd, Greenock PA16 0XN, UK Affiliated universities University of the West of Scotland, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Similar Royal Alexandra Hospital, Vale of Leven Hospital, Stobhill Hospital, Gartnavel General Hospital, Ravenscraig Hospital | ||
Inverclyde Royal Hospital, which opened in 1979, is a district general hospital in Greenock which serves a large population area of 125 000 consisting of Inverclyde (including Greenock), Largs, Isle of Bute and Cowal Peninsula. Inverclyde is one of three main hospitals in the South Clyde area, alongside Vale of Leven Hospital in Alexandria and Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley and is both owned and run by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, previously NHS Argyll and Clyde.
Contents
Facilities
Inverclyde provides many facilities including an A&E department, general medical and surgical inpatient beds, orthopaedics, ophthalmology and psychiatry. There is a three-bed intensive care unit and a four-bed high dependency unit and an eleven bed coronary care unit; providing a unique combined critical care unit. The Larkfield Unit, a five ward annexe to IRH, contains three geriatric medicine wards (including an acute stroke unit), a secure geriatric psychiatric ward, and a rehabilitation ward for patients with physical disabilities. However there is no consultant-led maternity unit at the hospital, only a midwife-led unit - consultant obstetric services have been based at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley since 2003 - and there are no in-patient paediatric services.
There are regular out-patient clinics in all medical and surgical specialties, obstetrics and gynaecology, and paediatrics.
History
Construction work started at the end on August 1970.
Proposed downgrade
Inverclyde was initially going to face a big downgrade with the loss of the A&E department and acute surgical ward being re-located to the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley which was to save as much as £40 million by the NHS Argyll & Clyde health board. Many criticised the plans complaining that the Inverclyde was being seen as nothing more than a large health centre; being allowed to run down and close and accessibility problems trying to get to the Royal Alexandra which would have been better suited at the Southern General if the go-ahead was given.
South Clyde Acute Hospitals Review
When the boundaries were redrawn, NHS Argyll & Clyde amalgamated into the new NHS board known as Greater Glasgow and Clyde. A review undertaken by the new board wanted to retain the A&E department and core inpatient services, including trauma and emergency medical receiving at Inverclyde to remain open and this was submitted to the Scottish Government for approval.
Another plan was to encourage Inverclyde as a base for acute services to preserve the future of the hospital site suggested by the then Scottish Health Minister, Andy Kerr. Many people in the Inverclyde area have been satisfied with this and have supported these plans.
However, some services such as ENT, ophthalmology, dermatology and urology were re-located. This was outlined in the ‘A Safe and Sustainable Future for Hospital Services in Inverclyde and Renfrewshire’ document. Four of these services: dermatology; ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat) Unit; urology and Vascular surgery went to the Southern General in Glasgow between August and October in 2007. A gradual process of moving the ophthalmology will occur over five years to a Glasgow site, possibly the Southern General but has been undecided yet.
Hospital Radio
Inverclyde Hospital Radio Voluntary Service, since the early 90s, has been catering for both the patients and staff of Inverclyde Royal Hospital, when Paisley Hospital Broadcasting Services ceased to exist. They are acknowledged as both a Scottish registered charity and by OSCR (Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator). The hospital radio broadcasts as much as 44 hours of live programming, a sustaining service where necessary and also commentary for the local senior team, Greenock Morton, who are also a major sponsor.