Impressive new theatres close to completion
We are weeks away from treating our patients even faster now that the expansion of our Elective Surgical Hub at King George Hospital (KGH) is close to completion.
The £14m extension includes two new theatres that will allow us to undertake 100 additional operations each week.
With the shell of the building complete, including floor to ceiling windows, work has continued to finish off the rooms inside where the latest technology will be housed inside the state-of-the-art theatres.
Patient facilities have been upgraded with more space available for them to recover comfortably after their procedure and double the number of recovery beds than there were before.
Staff will also benefit from improved changing rooms. The building, which will open in the spring, brings from spacious corridors, additional office space and storage rooms.
The KGH Elective Surgical Hub was one of the first across the country to be accredited as part of a national scheme which recognises high standards and a commitment to offer training.
It was also recognised at the HSJ Awards for helping patients get the care they need more quickly.
Thangadorai Amalesh, our Divisional Director of Surgery, said:
It’s an exciting period for our Trust as the new theatres will help improve the care and experience of our patients.
“It will allow us to house state-of-the-art equipment and technology, treat those in the community who are waiting for treatment quicker, and provide our staff with better facilities and more opportunities to learn and develop.
We are in the top three in London for our elective (planned care) performance and teams continue to find fresh ways of tackling the backlog.
At the end of December, there were 313 patients waiting for a surgical procedure for more than a year.
Our efforts to cut waiting lists have been affected by the ongoing strikes by junior doctors. The 34 days of industrial action – an average of three every month since the dispute began - have meant we’ve had to re-schedule 16,024 outpatient appointments and 1,174 non-urgent surgeries.
