June 27, 2017

Staff members stand outside Innovation Centre with cake on table.

The Golden Jubilee National Hospital today (Tuesday 27 June 2017) marks its 15th anniversary by announcing that it has performed over 600,000 procedures for Scottish patients.

Since its purchase in 2002, the Golden Jubilee has helped Scottish NHS Boards across Scotland to reduce waits for surgical or diagnostic imaging procedures.

In the past 15 years, the Golden Jubilee has grown and evolved into the home of regional and national heart and lung services, a world renowned orthopaedic centre and a major provider for cataract surgery. It is also recognised internationally as a champion of healthcare innovation

Providing safe, effective and person-centred care

Over the past 15 years, the Golden Jubilee has become:

  • a major diagnostic imaging centre, carrying out 375,000* examinations;
  • one of the UK’s largest heart and lung centres, carrying out more than 100,000* cardiology, heart surgery and lung surgery procedures;
  • one of Europe’s largest elective orthopaedic centres, carrying out approximately 25% of Scotland’s hip and knee replacements, 40,000* procedures; and
  • Scotland’s largest provider of cataract surgery, carrying out approximately 12% of Scotland’s procedures, 35,000* eye operations.

Taking groundbreaking research from bench to bedside

The Golden Jubilee’s research programme has gone from strength to strength in the past 15 years. In that time, 150 trials have been completed, improving treatment for patients across Scotland and beyond.

Specialist researchers have collaborated with academic and industry partners to:

  • carry out pioneering stem cell therapy for patients having a STEMI heart attack;
  • lead several national and international interventional cardiology research projects;
  • publish research which revealed that Computer Assisted Hip Arthroplasty could increase accuracy of the surgery by over 20%, from 70% to over 90%;
  • participate in the UK’s first gene therapy trials for heart failure patients, called CUPID2 and SERCA2a, taking place in only two hospitals; and
  • play a major role in the ‘PRAMI trial’, finding evidence to suggest that preventative angioplasty following a heart attack has the potential to save the lives of thousands of patients every year; and
  • lead the T-TIME study to assess a new treatment that is intended to restore blood flow to the small vessels in the heart.

Driving innovation on behalf of NHSScotland

The Golden Jubilee has a proven track record in innovation, playing a pivotal role in Scotland becoming a recognised leader in healthcare revolution through:

  • pioneering enhanced recovery programme – a multidisciplinary team approach which mobilises the patient on the day of surgery and reduces the length of stay. Originally introduced for the Golden Jubilee’s orthopaedic patients, this is now being rolled out across all orthopaedic services in NHSScotland and to other specialties at the Golden Jubilee.
  • performing the first Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve Replacement in Scotland. Allowing this specific valve to be replaced via a vein in the leg, this procedure avoids the need for open heart surgery for patients who have specific congenital heart problems.
  • devising and launching 3D training, which allows orthopaedic medical students, trainee doctors and clinicians to practice surgical and regional anaesthesia techniques on 3D models and animations.
  • leading the way in the use of ‘quality dashboards’ to integrate indicators on patient care, workforce and key performance targets. The digital dashboard provides quality assurance on an organisational basis.
  • developing the unique Medical Devices Alpha Test (MDαT®) process, which enables individuals, commercial device companies and academic organisations to submit a healthcare related device for review by clinical experts.
  • leading an ambitious new national health and social care innovation fund, which aims to raise funds to develop original and pioneering treatments for Scotland’s patients.

Increasing capacity to meet the needs of Scotland’s patients

From treating 3,000 patients in their first year, to more than 55,000 patients last year, the Golden Jubilee is continuing to increase capacity to meet the needs of NHSScotland.

By 2021, the Golden Jubilee will have completed its expansion to deliver increased capacity for 'in demand' radiology, orthopaedics, ophthalmology and other surgical services.

Jill Young, Chief Executive of the Golden Jubilee National Hospital, commented: “As a national resource for NHSScotland, we are proud of how far we have come in the past 15 years.

“Our dedicated specialists have led the way in new and innovative techniques, making a difference to thousands of patients and families across Scotland.

“And we are continuing to receive more referrals than ever before from patients who wish to access our high quality, person centred services.

“We are working closely with our colleagues in NHS Boards and the Scottish Government on our elective expansion programme, which will ensure we can treat even more patients over the next 15 years and beyond.”