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Staff, patients, and members of the public have joined together to mark the 90th Birthday of Wrightington Hospital, celebrating its iconic history past and promising future, with the official opening of a new Enhanced Care Unit (ECU).
Providing an enhanced level of care for complex medical and surgical patients on the site, the ECU is set to provide a better patient experience, allowing patients to be treated and discharged appropriately at Wrightington, rather than possibly being transferred to Wigan.
Speaking at the official opening, WWL’s Medical Director, Professor Sanjay Arya said: “I’m honoured to officially open the ECU which will greatly benefit our patient experience with patients receiving all the appropriate care they need at Wrightington Hospital. Wrightington is one of the top hospitals in the world, and it is because of the work that is being done here and the staff who work here. It is great to open a new facility which will further benefit our patients during the 90th Birthday celebrations.
“The staff who work on this unit are passionate about providing the best level of care for patients at Wrightington and they should be proud of what has been achieved here.”
The celebrations continued across the hospital with various wards and departments being decorated by staff competing for the ‘Best Dressed’ to commemorate 90 years of history of Wrightington.
Originally a facility for the treatment of tuberculosis, Wrightington Hospital opened on 16th June 1933. Services provided at the hospital changed and it began to specialise in hip and orthopedic surgery and rheumatology following the creation of the National Health Service in 1948. Much of this work was led by Professor Sir John Charnley who performed the first ever total hip replacement operation at Wrightington in 1962, and the hospital is now renowned as a centre of excellence for musculoskeletal conditions and is the Greater Manchester Hub for orthopaedics. When the first hip replacements were carried out at Wrightington, patients were often in recovery at the hospital for up to 18 months but today some patients can be discharged following hip replacement surgery within one day.
Taking inspiration from Charnley’s work were the winners of the best dressed ward - the John Charnley Wing - who gave a potted history of Charnley and hip replacements alongside a fabulous display of paintings and cartoons of John Charnley, mannequins dressed in theatre scrubs from the Charnley era as well as displays of old hip replacements compared to new.
In second place was D Ward with a fantastic ‘Hip, Hip, Hurray’ display featuring staff past and present, followed by the Outpatients Department in third place who had dressed in uniforms of days gone by.
Sweet treats were also shared on the day as part of the ongoing celebrations as staff participated in a ‘Bake Off’ competition, won by Lotte Hendriksen, who was at Wrightington on an observation placement as part of her college studies. Cakes from the competition were later sold off to raise £119.72 to be donated between Wrightington’s League of Friends and the Wrightington Wish Fund.
Peter Allard, WWL Governor who helped to judge the competitions, said: “It has been a privilege to be invited to attend the celebrations here at Wrightington and a pleasure to have been asked to be part of the judging panel for the bake off and best dressed ward or department to commemorate Wrightington turning 90 years old.”
Sarah Russell, Divisional Director of Nursing and Allied Health Professionals and part of the team who organised the celebrations said: “It was brilliant to welcome everyone and great to see so many staff and people involved in the 90th Birthday fun, we are a real family here at Wrightington and it was special to be able to celebrate together.”
Staff at Wrightington will continue to celebrate the Hospitals’ 90th milestone throughout the year, with further events planned to include a late Summer Ball that will be held at Kilhey Court, Standish, Wigan.