THIS week marked Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s first birthday. The Foundation Trust came into being on 9 January 2012.

It runs Andover War Memorial Hospital as well as Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital and the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester.

Staff marked the moment at each of the three hospitals, with the trust chairman and members of the board of directors visiting wards and departments at each hospital to meet and talk to staff and patients. As a result of the hospitals coming together, HHFT has been able to invest in services and facilities, provide more services locally and provide access to high-quality central services. Hampshire Hospitals met all its targets at the end of March including meeting its financial targets and so delivered a surplus which was reinvested it in improving the hospitals. Improvements and developments include the introduction of a mobile MRI scanner and a mobile chemotherapy unit which has travelled to locations around Hampshire providing local access to these services. State-of-the-art equipment has been provided including a CT, MR and ultrasound scanning and digital mammography equipment in both Basingstoke and Winchester sites. A new modern outpatients department opened in Winchester and, as a result of the hospitals coming together, patients are also now able to access rapid, high-quality cardiac and stroke treatment.

Other developments include the Hampshire Hospitals Maternity Centre at Andover which opened for DOMINO births in September 2012 providing a much-valued local service. There is also an improved access to radiology services with the introduction of a GP general radiography walk-in service on the Basingstoke and Alton sites, which mirrors the service already in Winchester and Andover.

Highlights also included the launch of the fundraising campaign to build a new cancer treatment centre which and a record number of nominations for the Director of Nursing Awards, and the WOW! Awards, voted for by patients and their families which recognise nursing, midwifery and therapy staff’s commitment, compassion and care. Plans in the pipeline for 2013 include the reopening of the MRI unit in Winchester, phase one of our radiotherapy services provided temporarily in Basingstoke, ward refurbishments in Winchester, Basingstoke and Andover and a new outpatient facility in Eastleigh.

Donna Green, chief operating officer said: “It has been a challenging but successful year due to the dedicated staff who brought together one service across three hospitals in Andover, Basingstoke and Winchester to become Hampshire Hospitals. “I’d like to say a big thank you to our staff, governors and members of Hampshire Hospitals Foundation Trust.”