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Monday 25 September

Patients in Worcestershire who need surgery will be seen more quickly thanks to the opening of two new purpose-built operating theatres at the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch.

The state-of-the-art theatres, which were used for the first time today (Monday 25 September) are part of Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust’s wider plans to develop the Alexandra Hospital as a surgical centre of excellence. They will allow a dedicated team of specialist medical and nursing staff to provide care to around 2,300 patients a year, once fully operational.

The £18 million facilities will be used to treat urology, general surgery, orthopaedic and gynaecology patients requiring day case or inpatient surgery and bring the total number of theatres at the Alexandra Hospital to nine.

The development, which is linked to the main hospital building, also includes staff changing facilities and a dedicated theatre recovery space for patients which is due to open in October following a further phase of work.

Dr Jo Marriott, Consultant Anaesthetist and Divisional Director of the Specialised Clinical Services Division at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “These facilities will bring much-needed increased theatre capacity. This means that we can see more patients a year resulting in improved access and reduced waiting times for all patients across Worcestershire and beyond. The development also ensures we have theatre accommodation that is fit for purpose in the future. This will undoubtedly result in improved patient experience, efficiency and staff morale.”

The opening of the theatres follows the launch of robot-assisted surgery at the Alexandra Hospital last year and marks a further addition to the range of high-quality elective (planned) surgical services already provided at the hospital.

Steve Goodyear, Consultant Vascular and Endovascular Surgeon and Divisional Director for Surgery at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “The launch of this new service is a key part in our vision of the Alexandra Hospital becoming a surgical centre of excellence. It’s a vital part of our plans for the future of our services and our hospitals, and a further demonstration of our commitment to providing the best quality and experience of care and outcomes for our patients.”