Wharfedale Hospital Otley: New £12m unit opens in Leeds with two theatres to reduce surgery wait times
A new £12 million unit has opened at Wharfedale Hospital which is hoped will reduce wait times for surgery.
The unit at the hospital in Otley, which includes two new operating theatres, means there will be more capacity at Leeds Teaching Hospitals' main sites.
There is also a recovery area, an admissions and discharge area alongside making an existing ward that is operational overnight.
The hub provides operations including general surgery, minor cancers, urology and benign gynaecology. Other improvements include the day unit and phlebotomy services moving into refurbished areas and a dedicated hysteroscopy treatment suite. Overall, the space for clinical services has increased.
It is estimated that an additional 3,500 people per year will be seen, and patients will benefit from the quieter, relaxed environment and faster treatment times.
The hub also provides extra capacity for teams from Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, who alongside Leeds Teaching Hospitals secured NHS England funding to support post-covid recovery works. During the pandemic, a backlog of elective operations built up which teams have been working hard to address.
Professor Phil Wood, Chief Executive at Leeds Teaching Hospitals, said: “I really appreciated visiting the new Elective Care Hub and meeting team members.
“I know patients are going to find it a great place to come, not just because of the facilities, but also because of how they’ll be looked after. The hub increases protected space and theatres to see planned-in patients, enhancing their experience and meaning we can see more patients more quickly.
“This investment underlines our commitment to provide the right kinds of services at Wharfedale Hospital and ensuring it has a sustainable future. It’s fantastic news for the Otley community as well as our patients from further afield and our staff.”