THE business plan for a new surgery hub in Hampshire has been approved by the NHS.

The new hub, which will be based in Royal County Hospital, Winchester, will provide a higher capacity and allow more operations to take place. This will improve access to elective surgery for people across the county and reduce the local backlog.

Operations at the hub will be in addition to surgery already taking place at NHS hospitals across the county, with patients in Southampton and central Hampshire will be offered the choice of having their operation at either their local hospital or the hub.

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The hub will deliver 2,400 procedures a year, operating six days a week with consultants from both University Hospital Southampton and Hampshire Hospitals Foundation Trust.

Julie Maskery, strategic projects director at Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are delighted that NHS England has approved the business case and the funding for this exciting collaborative project which will benefit many people across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

“The elective hub will provide a new way of working for orthopaedic surgery and approval from NHS England is a significant milestone in the delivery of this new and exciting programme.”

Planning for the hub is already underway, with the programme collaborating with the contractor Integrated Health Projects (IHP) and AD Architects to develop the building specification. The plans involve refurbishing a floor within the Burrell building in the Royal Hampshire County Hospital to create two theatres and the associated inpatient facilities.

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At the same time as developing the plans for the new elective hub, Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is also developing proposals to build a new outpatient facility specifically for orthopaedics.

Winchester MP Steve Brine said: “This is further significant investment in Winchester Hospital and it’s very welcome. I will go on, and on, doggedly making the case for the Royal Hampshire County Hospital with Ministers and the NHS.”

The hub is scheduled to open in early 2025, with final sign-off on the programme expected in October.

The trust is currently in the process of engaging further with staff, patients and members of the public on the construction and design of the new building. To offer feedback and find out more, visit: forms.office.com/e/ryi2XTin7A.