Lucy Allan MP has been informed by Health Minister Maria Caulfield that £10 million is to be invested in a new surgical hub at Princess Royal hospital, increasing surgical capacity.
The surgical hub will enable more elective operations in take place and help reduce patient waiting times. The hub will be ring-fenced, ensuring that beds will only be used by patients waiting for elective day case surgery. The aim is to clear the backlog for surgery that has left many residents facing the prospect of waiting many months sometimes years for surgery.
The new facility will be in operation from June 2023 and will immediately have an impact on patient wait times and the size of the backlog in surgery.
Lucy has been campaigning in Parliament for increased capacity for orthopaedic surgery at PRH following concerns of constituents and their families over waiting times at Princess Royal. She has raised the cases of constituents suffering daily as a consequence of extensive delays.
The surgical hub will complement the new diagnostic unit in Telford which will be opening soon. The diagnostic unit will carry out scans, test and ultra sounds ensuring people get quick access to care.
Lucy Allan MP said:
I am delighted that Government has chosen to invest in Princess Royal Telford which will help tackle the backlog in surgery that has resulted from the pandemic. I have repeatedly raised the delays in hip and knee surgery at Princess Royal and I am grateful that ministers are listening. It is not acceptable for people to have to wait in some cases years for elective surgery which would be quick to perform and would transform lives.
Some residents have faced huge waits in significant pain because these operations were not seen as top priority by local health providers. This new surgical capacity will allow more operations and it is a great example of this Government addressing people’s priorities.
