A major project to increase surgical capacity at Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals (ASPH) has been announced with plans to create a new dedicated elective centre at Ashford Hospital, Surrey.
The elective centre at Ashford will see the creation of two new ophthalmology theatres and two new main Laminar flow theatres and will provide increased capacity for elective orthopaedic procedures, including hip and knee replacement surgery and ophthalmology eye surgery. It will also help to significantly reduce patient waiting times so they can get the care they need faster. The facilities will provide the Trust with a much-needed standalone and Covid-secure elective surgical facility so we can continue to provide the best possible care in years to come.
The elective centre will also create greater opportunity for our teams, with more specialist training, experience and opportunities for innovation and it will help to provide an improved working environment, with upgraded facilities to support the best possible care and experience for patients and staff.
Julie Smith, Chief Executive, said: “This is a really exciting development, which will help to reduce waiting times through a specialised facility.
Creating a dedicated elective centre at Ashford will provide an effective, integrated, and efficient service which will improve patient and staff experience and provides a solution that is in line with best practice prescribed by the NHS and other bodies as the most effective way to address long waiting lists.”
This expansion is part of the NHS Elective Recovery Plan to build more surgical hubs across the country to tackle the backlogs caused by the Covid pandemic and to deliver more elective activity by 2024/25.
Enabling estates works have started on site at Ashford, with plans to start treating the first patients in spring 2024 and a target completion date for the centre to be fully open by summer 2024, following a dedicated recruitment campaign.
