Redditch: Alexandra Hospital plans new operating suite

Plans have been submitted to expand provision in Redditch

An NHS trust has submitted plans for a new "multi million-pound" operating suite at a Worcestershire hospital.

The proposed two-storey extension at Alexandra Hospital, Redditch, would house seven new surgical theatres, according to the documents.

The aim is for the new provision to eventually replace six existing theatres.

If approved, there would be a transitional period where both types ran together to cut down waiting times.

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust told planners at Bromsgrove District Council its existing theatre space would be retained for "two to three years to aid the reduction of the current waiting list".

The trust said the new theatres would provide improved clinical space, allowing more flexibility while being better suited to current clinical practices.

Welcoming the development, Rachel Maclean, Conservative MP for Redditch, said it was a multi million-pound project.

The exact figure is not specified in the planning documents. The trust has been contacted for details.

In the application, the trust said refurbishment of its existing theatres had been considered, but the plan allowed for the expansion of the Sterile Service Department which would be relocated into the proposed new complex.

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