Two new operating theatres at Queen Mary’s Hospital, Sidcup are set to help reduce waiting lists for patients in south east London awaiting routine procedures.
The new operating theatres have been refurbished by Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust, and will be run by Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust.
They will be used by surgical teams from Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust to carry out high volume, low complexity procedures, with anaesthetic support provided by Guy’s and St Thomas’.
Waiting times for routine procedures and operations have increased as a result of Covid-19, and the creation of new theatres at Queen Mary’s Hospital, Sidcup is just one of the steps being taken to speed up patient access to treatment.
Surgical teams from Guy’s and St Thomas’, King’s and Lewisham will work collaboratively to ensure patients get the treatment they need as soon as possible. Operations carried out in the theatres will include general surgery and gynaecology specialities, with the potential to carry out as many as 75 procedures a week.
This is the first time the different organisations, particularly Guy’s and St Thomas’, King’s and Lewisham and Greenwich Trusts, working through the South East London Acute Provider Collaborative, have come together to provide services in this way.
The South East London Acute Provider Collaborative is working on a wide range of programmes with the aim of improving patient care and increasing financial sustainability across the three organisations.
Julie Frake-Harris, Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust Chief Operating Officer said: "We are very pleased to be working collaboratively, supporting theatre teams to work more effectively together to improve the quality of patient experience, the safety and outcomes of surgical services, the effective use of theatre time and staff experience. Well done to everyone involved in making this happen."