A new surgical centre that will cut waiting times in performing orthopaedic procedures including knee and hip replacements will open in November at London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust’s (LNWH) Central Middlesex Hospital.
The £9.4m Elective Orthopaedic Centre (EOC) will help to reduce a massive waiting list of 16,000 patients across nine hospitals in north-west London needing surgery.
LNWH says the EOC will focus on high volume, low complexity bone and joint procedures, such as knee and hip replacements.
Matt Bartlett, medical director of the EOC and an orthopaedic surgeon commented: “A similar model in south London has proved very successful and it is all about providing a faster more effective service. We’re working hard to reduce waiting lists but orthopaedic procedures involving bones and joints make up more a quarter of all NHS operations.”
The EOC will include two new operating theatres. One will be a larger recovery unit and the other will be updating part of the existing hospital site.
Patients pre and post-operative care will remain in their local hospitals with their surgeons travelling to the EOC to undertake their procedures.
LNWH CEO Pippa Nightingale added: “It is about delivering the best possible care to our patients and being the best we can be. Our performance for clinical outcomes and patient experience is among the best in the country but there is room for improvement. We are focused on where we need to be and that is half the battle.”
 Central Middlesex Hospital.){kind=link}