Great Western Hospital

The Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

The Great Western Hospital is a modern district general hospital with over 600 beds. It achieved Foundation status in December 2008.  

The Trust covers an area of Wiltshire and South Gloucestershire of 2,700 square miles. GWH is an acute DGH serving a population of 300,000 and the trust as one of the lowest MRSA infection rates in the country.  (Health Protection Agency figures for Oct 05 - Apr 06: top 10% of all hospitals) (Health Protection Agency figures for Oct 05 - Apr 06: top 10% of all hospitals).

Oxford and Bristol are each only forty miles away; the hospital has recently become part of the Severn Deanery.  The hospital was one of the first in the region to have a state of the art EPR/PACS system. In 2008 the radiology department produced 39 presentations/publications. The hospital provides a wide range of acute and non acute services including cardiac catherisation and stenting.  The hospital is a designated Cancer Centre and radiotherapy is currently provided by Oxford. It is also a Major Accident Centre for the M4 corridor, with a helipad on site.  Other services currently provided include general medicine, general surgery, accident and emergency, orthopaedics, ophthalmology, ENT, oral surgery, rheumatology and rehabilitation, paediatrics, dermatology, acute geriatrics and obstetrics and gynaecology.  

The Radiology College Tutor is Dr A Jones e-mail: Ann Jones

The Consultant Radiologists, with specialist interests, are:-
Dr A Beale (Chest and Cardiac), Dr N Ridley (MSK, Breast and Clinical Lead) , Dr S Taylor (Breast and Paed, director of Breast Care) , Dr A Troughton ( MSK and Medical Director),  Dr J Cook ( Intervention and Breast) ,  Dr T Saunders ( Neurology), Dr A Planner ( GI and MSK), Dr M Hawkins ( Urology), Dr R Young ( MSK); Dr A Jones ( Paed, OB-GYN, Nuclear Medicine).  

 MUSCULOSKELETAL

 The department is equipped with a 1.5T MRI machine, a Siemens 16 and 128 multislice CT scanners, a range of Phillips and Toshiba US machines and digital screening. We can therefore offer a full range of musculoskeletal investigations. Four radiologists have a special interest in musculoskeletal radiology and are members of the BSSR. Interventional experience includes hip aspiration, facet joint injection, nerve root blocks and injection of other joints.  There is an also extensive musculo-skeletal ultrasound practice including injections.

There is a daily trauma orthopaedic meeting and regular meetings with the rheumatologists.

BREAST

 The Wiltshire Breast Screening Unit is based at the GWH. It is just over one Forrest Unit in size and screens Swindon and North and West Wiltshire. The same staff provide the local symptomatic service. We can offer training in fine needle aspiration, core biopsy and localisation of impalpable lesions, under both US and stereotactic guidance, with opportunity to report both screening and symptomatic films. There is a weekly multidisciplinary meeting.

PAEDIATRICS

 We can offer a range of DGH paediatric procedures. This includes investigation of UTI with US, MCUG and isotope studies. Screening studies include contrast swallows, meals and MCUGs.  There is a monthly paediatric GA MRI list.  Although there is not a dedicated paediatric US list two radiologists do renal and general paediatric US, including neonatal screening for hip dysplasia. There is opportunity to perform cranial US on SCBU. A paediatric radiology meeting is held twice a month.

CHEST

 There are two radiologists with a special interest in chest radiology. Most complex chest cases and cancer staging scans are booked on their CT lists.  We also perform cardiac CT calcium scoring.

Trainees would have the opportunity to observe and perform chest biopsies and FNAs. There is a weekly chest radiology/ pathology meeting.

GYNAE AND OBSTETRICS

 The GWH has approximately 3,500 births per year so there is ample scope for learning early pregnancy and obstetric scanning. There is also a large gynae scanning workload with opportunity to observe US guided cyst aspiration. Regular “Echovist” US sessions for tubal patency are held as well as more conventional HSG sessions.

INTERVENTION

 We perform peripheral angioplasties, IVC and oesophageal stenting as well as nephrostomies, ureteic stents, testicular varicocoele embolisations, PTC,   biopsies and drainages.  There is ample opportunity for SpR to become involved with intervention.

 A six month General Rotation can also be offered

e-mail enquiries: Ann Jones