THE Day Case Unit at Leigh Infirmary has been awarded Surgical Hub accreditation.

This is the second time that the Wrightington, Wigan, and Leigh NHS Trust have achieved the status, from the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme, following Wrightington Hospital’s accreditation in September last year.

The Leigh Day Case Unit is a specialist centre with a focus on providing ‘high volume low complexity’ surgery for ophthalmology, general surgery, gynaecology and urology patients. It is also the main site for breast cancer surgery at the Trust.

Achieving Surgical Hub accreditation means that Leigh Infirmary has been nationally recognised for meeting top clinical and operational standards, and is a visible marker of excellence quality in how it is managed and the experience of patients.

Surgical Hub capacity is kept separate from emergency services, where surgical beds are kept free for patients waiting for planned operations. Leigh Infirmary is now one of 40 hubs to date that have been accredited.

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The accreditation required collaboration amongst a number of departments and support services, and, alongside the building of a new theatre at the site, teams at Leigh successfully increased activity and efficiency meaning patients have shorter waits for surgery.

Leigh Day Case Unit has a workforce with the skills and expertise under one roof specifically skilled in day cases and specialties. Being a specialist centre with this skill set day case patients will be well enough and ready to go home on the same day.

Leigh also has plans to increase capacity for ophthalmology to further support shortening waiting time for cataract operations across Greater Manchester (GM).

WWL Chief Executive, Mary Fleming said: “I am delighted for our colleagues at Leigh Infirmary, who have put in a tremendous effort to reach this accreditation which, along with Wrightington, completes our surgically accredited hubs. 

“With the addition of our new Community Diagnostic Centre and Theatre 4 extension, Leigh is a beacon for same day treatment. 

"We hope this recognition further solidifies our reputation for delivering exceptional care and value to our patients on this site. This achievement enables the Trust to enhance patient outcomes and reduce waiting times, not only for our local community, but also for Greater Manchester as a whole.”