Hospitals Get £1.2m boost for operating theatres

Patients in Shropshire and staff at The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) are now seeing the benefit of a £1.2 million investment. The funding, provided by NHS England, is being used to buy extra operating theatre equipment for both the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital (RSH) and the Princess Royal Hospital (PRH) in Telford.

This significant cash boost is expected to help the Trust treat more patients, cut waiting lists, and allow for more advanced surgical procedures.

Kathy Weeks, Theatre Equipment Lead, explained how the money has been spent. “With this funding we have been able to purchase additional anaesthetic equipment and surgical instruments, which increases our capacity to treat patients.”

Ned Hobbs, Chief Operating Officer, welcomed the news for the hospitals. He said: “Receiving £1.2 million worth of additional operating equipment is fantastic news for both patients and our staff.”

Mr Hobbs highlighted the impact the investment is already having on treatment times. “We are consistently reducing long waits as part of our commitment to provide a more positive care experience for patients, and this significant investment from NHS England helps us to do that,” he said.

He noted that the Trust is treating about 400 more patients a month in its operating theatres compared to last year. This has already contributed to an “almost 30% reduction in the number of patients waiting for elective treatment over the last year.”

Mr Hobbs added: “We still have further to go, but having additional equipment in our theatres enables us to treat patients more efficiently, perform more advanced procedures and continue to bring our waiting lists down.”