CHILDREN and adults across Leigh are being seen quicker as surgical hubs across the region continue to deliver to increase the volume of people who can be seen, reduce waiting times and deliver more operations in shorter times.

As The Health Foundation reports on new research that shows the impact the new facilities had in their first year, trusts in the region continue to reap the benefits of the hubs delivering actual benefits to patients, tackling waiting lists and improving the care provided to patients.

Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS FT opened a new planned service at Wrightington Hospital in 2022, transforming a previously unused theatre into a state-of-the-art Elective Ambulatory Unit offering same-day care to patients at the hospital, meaning patients are assessed, diagnosed, treated and are able to go home the same day, without being admitted into hospital overnight.

One patient, who had experienced this commented how they felt the surgery had been “transformative” and that they were impressed with the high standard of care they had received at the hospital.

The unit, which also offers an orthopaedic surgical hub used by other NHS organisations across Greater Manchester, allows the trust to treat more patients who have non-complex upper limb surgeries and reduce the waiting list for surgery as quickly as possible.

Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS FT also manage the Leigh Day Case Unit at Leigh Infirmary, a specialist centre focused 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.

Since November 2023, 1,210 extra patients have been seen at Leigh Infirmary, enabled by the increase in funding of additional theatre lists.

With breast services moving to Leigh Infirmary from the RAEI site in January 2024, 298 patients have been operated on, so far, and Leigh Infirmary continues to explore opportunities for expansion with plans to increase provision for cataract surgery there later this year.

Having two surgical hubs within the Trust’s footprint demonstrates how services at WWL are optimised, efficient and delivering the best possible care and value for our patients.

NHS England North West’s Interim Regional Director, Dr Michael Gregory, said: “I am impressed every day by the effort and dedication NHS organisations and their staff across the North West are putting forward to tackle the backlog of patients waiting for care across the region.

“It is clear the legacy of the pandemic continues to put strains on our services, but NHS staff in the region work tirelessly to ensure patients waiting to be seen are seen as quickly and as efficiently as possible,” he said.

“Surgical hubs have given a new string to our bows and it has been clear, since the were first established that they have made a real impact, reducing waiting times significantly for patients, and at the same time, improving their experience of care.”

Surgical hubs at Trafford General Hospital, Fairfield General Hospital, Rochdale Infirmary, Chorley and South Ribble Hospital, Wrightington Hospital, Leigh Infirmary, and Clatterbridge Hospital have all received accreditation already as part of this scheme, with others expected to follow. In their first year, the 31 trusts in England with newly opened hubs undertook 21.9% more high volume low complexity elective surgery (such as hip replacements and cataract removals) than they would have done without a hub. This amounts to around 29,000 more procedures than expected at these trusts during this time.