A brand new £24m building at the Freeman Hospital opens this week and could see more than 7,000 patients through the doors each year as part of a plan to slash NHS backlogs.
The new building in the grounds of the hospital features four new surgical theatres, and spaces for patients to be admitted, recover and be discharged. The self-contained day-treatment centre should be insulated from wider pressures on the Newcastle Hospitals NHS Trust - such as a potentially difficult winter.
The new centre has been completed just 12 months after being approved by the hospital trust's board - and the NHS team are now eager to begin work. The first patients are due on Friday September 30.
Mr David Rix, consultant urological surgeon and a clinical lead at the new centre, said: "I'm really looking forward to it, the whole team is really looking forward to it. We have watched as the building has sprung up over the last 12 months.
"The most exciting thing is simply that we'll be able to help more patients. We are hearing from our patients that they are suffering while they wait, and there's nothing more satisfying as a surgeon that to be able to operate successfully on someone. And nothing is worse than hearing of patients deteriorating while they wait."
The operations set to take place at the new centre vary across specialities - with factors like the patient's health more important in deciding if there issue can be dealt with without an overnight stay. The ops included will see cartilage and joint repairs for knees and hips, injections to manage pain, treatment for bladder and kidney problems, hernias and minor plastic surgery.
Not all patients will be able to treated at the new centre, as the new centre's aim is to deal with those who would not have to stay the night in hospital.
Mr Rix added: "Careful selection [of patients] is something we are really focussed on. We know we need to choose the right patients waiting for the right procedures for this particular venue. There are many other surgical areas around Newcastle's hospitals - but here we want to make sure cases are day cases.
"To get from concept to us sitting here today in an operating theatre in less than a year is remarkable. It's founded on teamwork and a really positive attitude from the trust's leadership."
The surgeon added that, despite huge staffing pressures across the NHS, more than 200 staff were in place to run the new centre - and getting the right people in place had been "the overwhelming number one concern".
Martin Wilson, the trust's chief operating officer said: "Largely due to backlogs caused by the pandemic, we have too many people waiting a long time for some procedures and are absolutely determined to do all we can to tackle this.
"Our investment in this centre will allow us to provide faster access to thousands of additional operations and procedures. There are many benefits to day treatment, not least that people can return home as soon as it’s safe to do so, for rest and recuperation in the comfort of their own space.
"A dedicated team has worked incredibly hard to bring this together in under a year and my thanks go to everyone involved in the construction, development of how the centre will run, recruitment and training.
"And, of course, a huge warm welcome to the fantastic new team who are all ready to start working here."
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