New £21m surgical centre aims to cut waiting times

The Daycase Surgical Unit at Hereford County Hospital has opened, NHS bosses say

A new £21m surgical unit specialising in daytime care has opened in Herefordshire and medical bosses say it will help cut waiting lists.

The Daycase Surgical Unit at Hereford County Hospital will offer surgeries in areas including urology, orthopaedic and general care, the Wye Valley NHS Trust said.

The stand-alone facility would aim to prevent delays to planned surgeries when in the past there was pressure from urgent, emergency cases, the trust said.

The two-storey centre includes waiting rooms, assessment rooms, two operating theatres, a recovery suite and a dedicated cataract suite.

The centre includes a dedicated cataract suite, the trust said

Located in the main hospital grounds, the positioning of the unit was designed to cut travel times for patients and staff, the trust added.

Mehmood Akhtar, associate chief medical director, said: “We appreciate the inconvenience cancelled procedures can have on patients and this new facility will go some way to help prevent the need to delay care and treatment”

Alan Dawson, from the trust, added: “It will be run in a way that means it won’t be affected by sudden pressures in our emergency department which have curtailed routine elective procedures in the past.”