Northumbria Healthcare invests £5.5million into Wansbeck General Hospital theatres revamp

The investment from Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, will see six theatres refurbished, including a significant upgrade of theatre equipment and space redesign to improve staff and patient flow and reduce the risk of infection during surgery.

The renovation began on January 26 and is expected to last several weeks.

Since the opening of the Northumbria hospital, Wansbeck hospital has been a centre of excellence for planned and ongoing care and performs almost 7,000 operations every year. Around half of these are orthopaedic operations such as hip and knee replacements.

Marion Dickson, executive director of nursing midwifery and executive sponsor of the project explained: “At Northumbria Healthcare we strive for the best for our staff and our patients and we are always pushing the boundaries. A huge investment like this in our estate demonstrates that, even in the face of a global pandemic, we remain focused on continued improvement.”

The revamp will see the introduction of more laminar flow theatres which will provide more flexibility to accommodate different types of surgery, including spinal and orthopaedic surgeries. As a result, this will make the running of the department more efficient and could lead to shorter waiting times for patients.

Scott Muller, consultant orthopaedic surgeon and project lead, said: “We have a highly skilled workforce who deliver surgical care to people from across the region and beyond.

"With this investment, our theatres will become a state-of-the art facility that reflect the highest standards of care that our patients rightly expect. This redevelopment will ensure the facility remains best in class thereby cementing Wansbeck hospital as a major provider of elective surgery for years to come.”

James Almond, director at P+HS Architects said: “Our team have worked closely with staff and clinicians to incorporate the latest technology, agree layouts and optimise workflow to ensure that the new facility will deliver the best patient experience and a safer, more efficient working environment, fit for 21st century healthcare demands and leading in the fightback to recovery post-Covid-19.”

Adrian Parkin, contracts manager, Medical Air Technology, said: "We made a successful site commencement of Phase 1 (Theatres 5 and 6) at the end of January, and we are looking to progress with the remainder of the theatres during 2021.”

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