Plans for new operating theatres at Hinchingbrooke Hospital moves a step forward

Plans to create new surgical facilities for patients at Hinchingbrooke Hospital have reached a significant milestone following national approval of an outline business case to construct a new purpose-built operating theatres block on the site.
The plans have moved a step forwardThe plans have moved a step forward
The plans have moved a step forward

The national decision enabling the Trust to proceed to the final stage of the business case process, marks an important next step in this exciting redevelopment project – which will be one of the first driven forward by the new Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Integrated Care System, a partnership organisation bringing together the local health and care organisations.

The approval takes the Trust a step closer to starting work on the theatre block development (pictured above) which will house 7 operating theatres, recovery and admission facilities and a separate area for children. The new facility will reflect modern surgical practice and embraces the latest thinking on operating theatre design. This will replace the theatres in the main hospital building, which are coming to the end of their operational life.

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The application to build the block is currently being reviewed by planners at Huntingdon District Council and positive feedback has already been received.

The Trust will now develop the Full Business Case. Following central approval of the case, the intention is to commence construction in the Autumn of 2021.

This exciting project, is the second part of a three-phase redevelopment scheme to replace the old building and modernise Hinchingbrooke Hospital, which is run by North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust This substantial investment demonstrates the important long-term role Hinchingbrooke Hospital will play in the provision of acute hospital care within the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough health system.

Phase 1 of the project was completed on time and within budget before Christmas 2020 and has seen major improvements being made to facilities for patients using Urgent Care Services – with the creation of a new Acute Assessment Unit and Ambulatory Care Unit and an expanded Accident and Emergency Department, which consistently features in the top 10 in the country for its good performance against the four-hour waiting time standard.

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Arshiya Khan, Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer for North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust, who is leading the redevelopment programme, said: “These are exciting times for our Hospital and we are pleased to have gained national support for our Outline Business Case for our theatre redevelopment. We are now working on developing this further to create a Full Business Case for Phase 2 of this project to gain final approval to commence construction.

“While we are working on Phase 2, our eyes are firmly on Phase 3 as we seek to secure urgently-needed investment to support the longer-term plan to ensure our hospital can continue to provide high quality care for our growing population, both now and in the future.”

Roland Sinker and Jan Thomas, Joint Accountable Officers for the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Integrated Care System, confirmed the system support for addressing the infrastructure issues at Hinchingbrooke Hospital and the redevelopment as a key strategic priority for the system.

They commented: “Improving our NHS facilities to meet the needs of the local community is of critical importance to the new Integrated Care System. By working together to identify and agree key investments, such as this one, we can deliver a better service, and better health outcomes, for our local people.”