Latest news with #SimonConstable
BBC News
10-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Royal Stoke University Hospital could be heated by waste incinerator
Burning rubbish could help to heat Staffordshire's main hospital amid plans for a new are being drawn up for the Royal Stoke University Hospital to receive both heat and electricity from a planned Energy Recovery Facility at Hanford, which is due to replace the existing waste incinerator by the end of the at University Hospitals of North Midlands (UHNM), which runs Royal Stoke, said the scheme would help protect the hospital site from spiking global energy prices and reduce its carbon emissions. UHNM has been speaking to Stoke-on-Trent City Council and SSE Energy Solutions Ltd about the proposals. The council has been developing a district heat network since 2014 to distribute heat to homes and businesses via a system of underground water pipes, the first 2.5 miles (4km) of which have been installed in Stoke and Shelton.A geothermal well has been proposed as the main source of heat but the local authority has also been looking at linking the network to other heat-producing sites, such as the Energy Recovery a report to the UHNM board, chief executive Simon Constable said the scheme would bring numerous benefits, including "reducing emissions and protecting against energy market volatility"."The scheme will also create local jobs and deliver social value for the residents of the city," he to a previous council report, the replacement Energy Recovery Facility has the potential to generate about 320 GWh of electricity and 400 GWh of heat, which could meet all the council's needs and generate £50m annually in commercial sales. This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Ambulance handover delays unacceptable
Ambulance crews in a single week faced more than 1,800 hours of delays in handing over patients to a hospital trust's A&E departments, according to a report. The figures from February emerged at a board meeting of the NHS trust that runs Royal Stoke and Stafford's County hospitals, and were branded "unacceptable" by chief executive Simon Constable. The board of University Hospitals of North Midlands (UHNM) also heard that during another week last month, ambulance patients faced an average handover time of more than two hours. Members heard the trust had continued to face challenging winter conditions since critical incidents were declared in December and January. Mr Constable, at the latest board meeting on Wednesday, said there had been "a really difficult few weeks". He said: "As we went into winter there has been problem after problem ever since." Factors that "dented" resilience included infectious diseases including flu, Covid, RSV and norovirus. He said: "While there are external factors, there are a lot of things we need to fix from an internal point of view." Ambulance holds – or handover delays – saw 1,729 hours lost in the week commencing 27 January and 1,806 hours lost in the week commencing 24 February, he said. That figure fell to 936 hours lost in the week commencing 3 March, the meeting heard. Mr Constable said: "There has been a significant improvement. That's the best figure we have had since December. But that is still unacceptable." The trust has brought in an urgent and emergency care recovery director to help improve performance and there is an improvement plan in place. Actions have included standing down non-urgent elective work where possible to increase capacity. Outpatient appointments were also stood down to allow emergency department teams to provide support, board papers said. Work is taking place to increase the number of patient discharges to free up bedspace, and an extra 50 beds have opened at community hospitals. This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, which covers councils and other public service organisations. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. Hospital bosses apologise after ambulance delays University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust
