HAVE you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes at Arrowe Park Hospital?

To the thousands of patients who come through its doors every year, some staff may be less visible than others, but all play a vital role in the care provided to local communities.

Among them are those who work tirelessly behind scenes, provide 24-hour service in its general and emergency theatres.

With around 30 staff, the department works alongside the trust's consultants on upper gastro-intestinal and colorectal surgeries as well as all emergency surgery.

It is a extremely busy area of the hospital - a place that never sleeps.

As day breaks, team members have finished a long night shift and several are already in theatre, helping provide life-saving treatment.

The team includes trained nurses, operating department practitioners and clinical support workers, who all contribute a wealth of different experience and academic knowledge.

Theatre co-ordinator Sujatha Samuel said: "The procedures performed in our theatres can be very complex and we are fortunate to have very good working relationships with our consultants.

"There is no divide and we very much consider ourselves as one big team.

"Theatre is all about team work and I am proud to manage a very motivated bunch of people who take real ownership of what they do.

"We have three theatres; two for elective surgery and another for emergencies.

"Some of the patients we see are extremely poorly and we are able to open up an additional theatre very quickly if an emergency comes in.

"In those cases, we never know what's coming through the door and that is when team work really comes into play.

"It is humbling to witness how everyone pulls together on these occasions.

"A recent national audit for emergency laparotomies, which is an operation for a sudden or serious medical problem in the abdomen, revealed that we undertake the highest number of these operations in the North West.

"Our patient outcomes are excellent with very few people requiring intensive care following the procedure.

"We have a strong reputation and peers in other trusts have often commented on how good it is to work in our theatres, which makes me really proud.

"Many members of the team have worked at Wirral University Teaching Hospital for a long time and we have a very low staff turnover.

"We are all passionate about supporting new members of staff and we work hard to lay strong foundations for the many students that we have because they are the future of our trust."