Wirral Community Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust
In 2023 we were inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), and the report confirmed that the Trust delivers outstanding services and across all areas is rated as ‘Good’. It is a tremendous achievement and recognition of the Trust’s commitment to deliver safe, effective, responsive, caring and well-led services.
Our services are local and community-based, provided from around 26 sites including care homes and specialist schools across Wirral, and including our main clinical bases, St Catherine’s Health Centre in Birkenhead, Marine Lake Health and Wellbeing Centre in West Kirby and Victoria Central Health Centre in Wallasey.
We also provide integrated 0-19+ services in Cheshire East, 0-19+ services in St Helens and 0-25 services in Knowsley, comprising health visiting, school nursing, family nurse partnership and breastfeeding support services from 23 bases including medical centres and children’s centres.
In September 2021, we opened the Community Intermediate Care Centre (CICC), our first inpatient wards providing rehabilitation and re-ablement support to people following discharge from the hospital. In its first CQC inspection, CICC was rated as Good in all areas. Particular acknowledgement was given for how the centre had grown and evolved, always delivering care and compassion and an overall positive patient experience.
In 2023-24, our services collectively delivered over 1.1 million contacts (see our Annual Report 2023-24).
Each year WCHC averages:
- 339,000 Community Nursing appointments / visits.
- 195,000 Contacts with our 0-19 Health and Wellbeing service.
- 80,000 People treated at our Walk-in Centres.
- 70,000 Consultations at our MSK and Physiotherapy Service.
- 44,000 People have their feet looked after by our Podiatry Service.
- 30,000 People attend walk in and pre-booked appointments with Sexual Health Wirral.
- 6,500 People treated by our Specialised Dental Service.
Find out more about all our services in the Our Services section.
Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
The Trust operates from two main sites:
Arrowe Park Hospital, Upton – delivering a full range of emergency (adults and children) and acute services for adults in the main hospital building. The Wirral Women’s and Children’s Hospital provides maternity, neonatal, gynaecology, children’s inpatient, day case and outpatient units.
Clatterbridge Hospital, Bebington – undertaking planned surgical services, dermatology services, breast care, specialist stroke and neuro rehabilitation services. The Clatterbridge Diagnostics Centre continues to support reducing waiting lists and increasing capacity for earlier diagnostics and recently welcomed its 100,000th patient since opening.
In addition, the development of the Cheshire and Mersey Surgical Centre provides increased theatre throughput without compromising clinical quality and care, shortening the waiting lists which now are amongst the lowest in the region.
Outpatient services are also provided from community locations including:
- St Catherine’s Health Centre, Birkenhead – providing x-ray, community paediatric services, paediatric audiology and a range of outpatient clinics.
- Victoria Central Health Centre, Wallasey – providing x-ray, some outpatient services and antenatal clinic.
- GP practices, schools and children’s centres.
Our full range of WUTH services include:
- accident & emergency services for adults and children
- a diverse range of acute and non-acute specialties
- outpatient services
- day surgery services
- maternity including a midwifery led unit
- diagnostic and clinical support services
- specialist services including:
- renal medicine
- dermatology
- orthopaedics (hip & knee revisions)
- ophthalmology (retinal)
- urology (cancer centre)
- stroke (hyper-acute unit)
- gynaecology (advanced laparoscopic endometriosis centre)
- neonatal level 3 unit and
- Ronald McDonald House: charity home providing accommodation for parents of sick children and premature babies.
In 2023/24 WUTH undertook the following activity:
- 2,853 Total Births
- 146,636 New Outpatient Attendances
- 370,074 Follow Up Outpatient Attendances
- 392,687 Diagnostic Orders
- 349,743 Diagnostic examinations performed
- 96,611 A&E Attendances
- 51,696 Emergency Admissions*
- 49,365 Elective Day Case Admissions**
- 7,971 Elective Planned Admissions
*Including maternity emergencies but excluding births
**Excluding Nephrology
The Trust’s Annual Report 2023-24 can be accessed on the WUTH website.
