Operating theatre refurbished to ease waiting lists

Weymouth Community Hospital will be used by Dorset County Hospital to perform a range of elective surgeries.

An operating theatre at a community hospital has been upgraded in a bid to shorten waiting lists.

The facility at Weymouth Community Hospital will be used by Dorset County Hospital (DCH) to perform a range of elective surgeries.

DCH had used the operating theatre before the Covid-19 pandemic, but the space needed to be upgraded to allow more procedures to be carried out.

Matthew Bryant, Chief Executive of Dorset HealthCare and Dorset County Hospital, said it was an "effective and efficient" use of NHS resources.

The Weymouth hospital, managed by Dorset HealthCare, currently offers outpatient clinics, day theatres, X-ray and physiotherapy services.

The refurbishment means DCH can use the theatre to perform a range orthopaedic procedures to treat bone, joint and muscle conditions as well as maxillofacial surgery to the face, jaw, neck and mouth.

Mr Bryant said: "We are still recovering from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on waiting times and this upgraded theatre allows DCH teams to carry out more operations, which will reduce waiting lists and improve the quality of life for those in need of surgery."