THERE was double delight at Solihull’s Surgical Hub – not only was it officially opened but it welcomed the health minister.
The ribbon was cut at the state-of-the-art unit during a special ceremony on Wednesday (March 5) by Solihull Mayor, Councillor Shahin Ashraf at Solihull Hospital.
And earlier in the week the health minister, Karin Smyth, visited the newest part of the Lode Lane site.
During the visit to Solihull the minister was given a tour of the unit which has delivered over 1,500 operations for elective patients since it started to welcome patients in November.
The hub was part of the Government’s drive to cut NHS waiting times and improve care for patients through its Plan for Change.
It is home to six new operating theatres in November, including two surgical robots which allow for minimally invasive surgery to aid recovery.
The site provides treatment for patients waiting for a range of operations, such as cancer, hip and knee replacements, and is now delivering more than 100 additional operations every week compared to before the expansion.
In Birmingham and Solihull, there is a waiting list of over 115,000 elective care treatments, and half of patients are forced to wait more than 18 weeks for treatment.
Ms Smyth said: “We are on a mission to cut NHS waiting lists from 18 months to 18 weeks, and the Solihull surgical hub is a great example of what we are rolling out across the country.
“They are getting on with the job of delivering for patients, providing hundreds of extra surgeries every month and completing over 1,500 operations since the site was expanded.
“Through our Plan for Change, we will open more surgical hubs to get patients the treatment they need faster, contributing to our ambition that patients won’t wait more than 18 weeks for treatment.
“We have hit the ground running, ending the strikes, delivering the 2 million extra appointments we promised, and cutting waiting lists by 160,000, and we won’t stop until the NHS is there for everyone when they need it, once again.”
The Minister met staff and patients as she toured the hub, including Judith, who was the first patient to be treated by the team when she had a hip replacement.
As a result of the care Judith received from staff, she was able to make a speedy recovery, getting back to doing what she loves.
Judith said: “When I was told that I would be the first patient treated in the new hub, I was delighted. The team were absolutely brilliant, and as a local resident, to have Solihull hospital on my doorstep is a bonus.
“Overall, I had the most fantastic experience being in the care of the hospital who have enabled me to make a swift recovery back at home.”
Pratima Gupta, medical director, Solihull Hospital and Community Services said: “We were delighted to host Minister Smyth to showcase our amazing new surgical elective hub.
“The hub brings new capacity for approximately 500 operations every month, meaning the patients of Solihull, Birmingham and beyond will be seen quicker and can get back to their normal lives.
“I would like to personally thank everyone who has been involved in the delivery of the hub concept and now all of the procedures that take place within it. Our colleagues are dedicated to providing excellent patient care and ensuring the very best outcomes for surgery.”
