Patients at Peterborough City Hospital can leave early thanks to new service
Patients visiting Peterborough City Hospital are benefiting from a new service that allows them to be treated and discharged in less than an hour.
A new outpatient service offering grommet insertion for adult patients under local anaesthetic has just been launched at North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust’s Ear, Nose and Throat team.
It means patients can be treated and discharged in less than an hour.
A spokesperson said that the launch was a great success with patients completing their procedures and leaving the department within just 50 minutes.
So far, four patients have been seen in one trial clinic and there are plans to see six patients every six weeks.
The service has already led to a reduction in theatre activity by four hours, plus additional time saved in the Day Treatment Unit (DTU) for pre- and post-operative care.
Danielle Gordon, divisional operations manager, head and neck business unit, said: “This allows the ENT team to repurpose valuable theatre time to focus on cancer and paediatric surgeries, improving access and outcomes for these critical services.
“Importantly, this shift enhances patient safety by reducing the need for general anaesthetic, shortens hospital stays, and enables patients to resume normal activities within hours — including returning to work and driving themselves home.”
She added: “Feedback so far has been overwhelmingly positive, with patients describing the experience as “fantastic.”
One patient, who wears a back brace due to a long-standing condition, said that the outpatient setting made the procedure far more manageable than a traditional theatre environment.”
The initiative is a multi-disciplinary effort led by Sister Jo Ruby and Deputy Sister Abby Orollo; and ENT Consultant Asad Qayyum.