We’ve had a busy start to 2025, with significant milestones across our services. The long-anticipated Bassetlaw Emergency Village is now open, improving patient flow and creating a more welcoming environment for both patients and colleagues. At Montagu Hospital, our new state-of-the-art imaging suite is set to expand diagnostic capacity, while a pioneering stroke trial at the Trust is already helping to personalise treatment and improve patient outcomes.
Meanwhile, our Board Development Delegate Programme continues to support emerging leaders, and discussions around Intensive Care Unit rotations at Bassetlaw Hospital remain focused on ensuring the highest standards of critical care.
We’re also seeing fantastic engagement in initiatives such as the Love Your Liver Roadshow, bringing vital health checks to our communities, and DBTH Charity’s first-ever sponsored abseil, raising funds for patient care.
As ever, thank you for your continued support—I hope you find this update useful.
You can view the Partner Brief archive here.
The Bassetlaw Emergency Village opens its doors
This milestone follows years of planning, consultation, and collaboration with clinicians, construction partners and the local community. Located directly in front of the site’s main entrance, the new complex improves patient flow while providing a more efficient and welcoming environment for both patients and colleagues.
The following services have transitioned into the new facility: Assessment and Treatment Centre (ATC), Children’s Assessment Unit (CAU), Gastroenterology, and the Emergency Department.
DBTH Charity’s first sponsored abseil
The Trust’s Charity is hosting its first-ever sponsored abseil on 15 March 2025, offering a unique opportunity to take on a thrilling 160ft descent at Doncaster Royal Infirmary—all while raising vital funds for patient care.
With the deadline to sign up fast approaching (7 March), we’re pleased that over 40 participants have already signed up to take on the challenge. Every abseiler will be making a real difference, with funds supporting projects such as VIP bags for adult patients with learning disabilities and the pioneering surgical robot. Thank you to partners who have shared this opportunity within your organisation.
Development programme for board-level skills
DBTH are once again offering aspiring leaders from diverse backgrounds who are considering their next steps towards a board-level, executive or equivalent position an opportunity to take part in our Board Development Delegate Programme.
The initiative, now in the third cohort, provides hands-on experience, knowledge, and insight into the responsibilities of executive and non-executive directors within a complex organisation. Upon completion, delegates will be supported in progressing into senior roles across the public, private, and voluntary sectors, including school and college governor positions.
Please cascade this information to relevant leaders within your organisation.
Update on Intensive Care Unit (ICU) proposals at Bassetlaw Hospital
You may have seen coverage in the local media about proposed short-term rotations between sites for our Intensive Care Unit (ICU) colleagues at Bassetlaw Hospital.
To clarify, these discussions are ongoing, and we continue to engage with union representatives to ensure we support our colleagues while maintaining the highest standards of patient care.
Bassetlaw Hospital’s ICU provides excellent care, delivered by a skilled and dedicated team. However, as a smaller unit, it naturally sees fewer critically unwell patients than Doncaster Royal Infirmary, which has a much larger Department of Critical Care. To ensure colleagues maintain essential critical care skills, we are proposing short-term rotations between sites.
This is about patient safety. If you or your loved one needs critical care, you must have the utmost confidence that it will be delivered by a team with the broadest range of experience, capable of handling the most complex and challenging cases. By ensuring all colleagues gain exposure to a variety of critical care scenarios, we are strengthening our services and safeguarding the highest standards of care—no matter which hospital you attend.
Our commitment to Bassetlaw Hospital remains as strong as ever. We have recently invested over £30 million into services, including the opening of the Emergency Village, which has improved urgent and emergency care for the local community. These proposals are not about downgrading services—they are about strengthening them for the future.
New Imaging Suite at Montagu Hospital set to expand diagnostic services and treat more patients
A new state-of-the-art imaging suite at Montagu Hospital is set to enhance diagnostic services for patients across South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw.
As part of the Montagu Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC), the new facility will increase appointment availability and offer patients greater choice in a calm and accessible setting.
Earlier this month, colleagues at the Trust took part in a handover ceremony, officially marking the building’s transfer. This milestone signifies the successful completion of construction, and the facility now enters the commissioning phase to ensure it is fully operational before welcoming its first patients at the end of March 2025.
The £16.4 million project was completed exactly one year after construction began in February 2024, representing a significant investment in modern diagnostic services. Additionally, the project included the build of an electrical substation capable of meeting the energy demands of the medical imaging equipment whilst also future-proofing the site for any further service expansion.
Love your liver roadshow
The Trust partnered with Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust (RDaSH) to bring the Love Your Liver Roadshow to Doncaster and Mexborough last month, providing free liver health checks and raising awareness as part of Love Your Liver Month.
The “Vincent Van-cough” primary care bus delivered liver health checks directly to the community, allowing attendees to complete an online risk assessment.
Those identified as at risk received non-invasive liver health scans using a Fibroscanner, a quick and painless test that provides instant results. This state-of-the-art equipment was generously donated to DBTH by the Doncaster Cancer Detection Trust, a longstanding supporter of local healthcare.
Alongside the checks, healthcare professionals were available to offer advice on alcohol, diet, and lifestyle choices to help improve and maintain liver health. The roadshow saw 111 members of the public attend, with 16 referred for further investigation, reinforcing the importance of early detection.
70 patients tested in groundbreaking stroke trial
Thanks to a pioneering genetic testing pilot at the Trust 70 stroke patients have been tested, and 20% were found to have a genetic difference that makes a common stroke prevention drug less effective.
By identifying this variation early, doctors have been able to offer alternative treatments, cutting their risk of another stroke by 50%.
As one of just four NHS sites in England selected for this national trial, DBTH is helping to lead the way in using genetic testing to determine whether Clopidogrel, a commonly prescribed stroke prevention drug, is the most effective option for each patient.
The pilot, led by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and NHS England, focuses on variations in the CYP2C19 gene, which influence how the body processes Clopidogrel. For some patients, genetic differences make the drug less effective, leaving them at greater risk of further strokes.
Through genetic testing, clinicians can identify these individuals and offer alternative medications tailored to their needs.
Operational activity
Below you can see our activity in January 2025, broken down by type of patient, and where these individuals received care and treatment.
Media and communications
Every month, the Trust publishes a number of items via its external channels to highlight developments at the Trust.
Contact the team
The Communications Team looks after media and stakeholder relations, digital communications, internal communications and patient information for the trust. The Communications Team should be the first point of contact for all media requests.
Thank you for reading!
The next edition of this newsletter will be available in mid-September. If you have any questions, please contact emma.shaheen@nhs.net or call 01302 644244.
