Plans for a new surgical hub at the Friarage Hospital, which will more than double the number of planned operations the hospital carries out each year, have received final approval.
The initial announcement that the Friarage was to be one of the 50-plus new surgical hubs across England was made in August 2022 and now, following final approval of the detailed plans from the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England, building on the £33.5 million state-of-the-art surgical facility is set to begin in March.
The plans for the new facility have been led by South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s experienced clinicians and will see the hospital’s six existing operating theatres replaced with a modern surgical hub that will include six main operating theatres, two minor operating theatres, and a surgical admission and day hub.
The hub is just the latest in a series of clinically led developments at the Friarage which have seen the creation of new services and the on-going removal of Second World War-era buildings on the site.
The NHS needs to increase capacity to support patients whose non-urgent care has been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Friarage development is one of more than 50 new surgical hubs that are being created across the country.
Mike Stewart, South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s chief medical officer, said: “We are delighted that the plans for significant investment in the creation of a surgical hub at the Friarage have been given final approval.
“Replacing the hospital’s ageing theatre block with a modern and expanded surgical hub will ensure the world-class care our clinicians deliver is matched by world-class facilities for decades to come.”
Rishi Sunak, the local Richmond (Yorks) MP, said: “This is great news for our local hospital.
“This investment, which I have worked on with the Friarage and South Tees teams since 2018, further helps to secure its future as a model small rural hospital.
“I look forward to seeing work start on the hub in a matter of weeks.”
Be the first to comment