Construction work is under way at the Sulis Elective Orthopaedic Centre near Bath, which will treat an extra 3,750 NHS patients a year.
Breaking ground at the hospital site | Photo © Sulis Hospital / Remco Merbis
The centre at Peasedown St John is a highly anticipated addition to the Sulis Hospital Bath and is set to open later this year.
The hospital, based at Bath Business Park, has been part of the Royal United Hospitals Bath (RUH) family since 2021.
It will treat non-emergency orthopaedic NHS patients across Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon, and Wiltshire as well as the wider South West region.
As well as a reduction in waiting times for NHS patients, the region will also benefit from the 100 jobs that Sulis Hospital is recruiting to staff the new orthopaedic centre.
Elective surgery is at less risk of being cancelled because the hospital does not perform urgent, non-planned operations.
Facilities at the new modular building will include two new modular theatres, additional inpatient beds, and the conversion of two existing theatres to laminar flow theatres.
The official breaking of the ground event was commemorated on Wednesday 24th July.
Vinci Building and Integrated Health Projects (IHP) are delivering the project and the regional director Russell Flowers presented a plaque to commemorate the achievement.
The hospital has achieved accreditation?as an elective surgical hub through NHS England’s?Getting It Right First Time?scheme and has a Care Quality Commission rating of Outstanding’ for care and ‘Good’ overall.
Among those commemorating the breaking of ground was Simon Milner, Hospital Director at Sulis Hospital.
He said: “It’s wonderful to be at the breaking ground stage of this development, which has been eagerly awaited by all. At Sulis, we’re proud to reaffirm our commitment to increase capacity and help improve NHS patients’ access to high-quality year-round elective orthopaedic care.
“As part of the RUH family, we’re able to give so much back to the local community and we’re keen to pioneer a new way of thinking in healthcare that can benefit everyone.”
Doyle, added: “Patients from the three acute hospitals in Bath, Swindon and Wiltshire will benefit significantly from our joint work to create the Sulis Elective Orthopaedic Centre.
“Building on the strong reputation of the existing Sulis Hospital, our ambition is to be an exemplar regionally and nationally, providing quick access and high-quality care to our population and beyond. This spade in the ground moment marks an exciting progression towards that ambition.”
Andrew Hollowood, Chief Medical Officer, Royal United Hospitals Bath, said: “We all want to achieve the best possible outcomes for the people in our care.
“One of the ways we can do this is to reduce the time people wait for elective surgery, so they can get on the road to recovery and a better quality of life more quickly.
“Today is a significant milestone for this goal as construction work begins on the Sulis Elective Orthopaedic Centre. I’m looking forward to welcoming our patients to the Centre when it opens later this year.”
