A long-awaited move of some specialist operating theatres won’t be the “single magic wand” needed to cut waiting lists at Nottingham hospitals, a senior NHS surgeon has warned. The planned changes are expected to be completed at Nottingham’s City Hospital within the next two months.
Nottingham University Hospitals started moving the colorectal and hepatobiliary services from the Queen’s Medical Centre to the City Hospital in January. Once fully open at City Hospital, the new £15m ‘Jubilee Unit’ will provide 20 beds alongside three surgery theatres and a 10-bed care Enhanced Perioperative Care Unit (EPOC).
Hepatobiliary involves treatments on the liver, bile ducts, and gallbladders, while colorectal involves rectum, anus and colon issues. The move will affect around 900 patients a year and potentially an extra 100-150 patients requiring more intestinal care.
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It’s part of a plan to broaden surgery across NUH locations and ensure pre-planned procedures are not cancelled due to urgent care demand at the QMC emergency unit. Now a meeting of Nottinghamshire County Council ’s health scrutiny committee has heard the facilities are expected to be fully complete by late June or early July.
The ward is partially open after the January transfer began, operating at 50 per cent capacity while improvement works continue. It will be fully staffed and NHS bosses say they have already received “positive feedback” about the facility in its current form.
Lisa Durant is the system delivery director for planned care, cancer and diagnostics for the Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board (ICB). She told councillors on Tuesday (May 9): “We’re beginning this transfer so colorectal and hepatobiliary patients can have their elective surgery at a site away from the main A&E.
“This provides a level of protection around cancellations and will offer some high-quality elective care in a new setting.” Mr Ayan Banerjea, divisional director for surgery and a colorectal surgeon at NUH, added: “This is a large investment in developing cancer plan care for two very important services.
“In the last few months, we have been running this as half a ward, with 10 beds initially. We’re hoping the build will be complete by the end of June or the beginning of July.
“The feedback from patients has been very good so far, the staff have beaming smiles on their faces because it’s very modern.” Councillors on the committee supported the move, although some concerns were raised about wider waiting times and pressures.
Cllr Michelle Welsh (Lab), who represents Arnold South, said: “Waiting lists really concern me, particularly how long it is taking people to get this elective surgery and the hospitals’ capacity to deal with this. The need is growing and you must feel like you are chasing your tails a little bit.
“While I agree the move and relieving the capacity at QMC are very important, how much capacity is this going to create in real terms? How much of an impact is it going to have on waiting lists, on people receiving what they need to in a timely fashion?”
In response, Mr Banerjea said: “This is a key part of our strategy but it’s not a single magic wand. Elective backlogs have grown over time. One of the key issues between the waves of the pandemic was staff not working for us anymore.
“There’s an important question around recruitment and retention. The ward is due to open with a full team, that in itself is an achievement, and theatres will be fully staffed. That’s a significant improvement and there are knock-on benefits.
“By moving these services, we’re leaving theatres at Queen’s that, with staff, will be able to do more elective and perhaps even non-elective surgery.” NHS figures show as of May 9, the average waiting time for general planned surgery at NUH is 19 weeks.
The NHS Constitution sets out that patients should wait no longer than 18 weeks from GP referral to treatment. During Tuesday’s meeting other members of the committee praised the impact the transfer will have.
Cllr Steve Carr (Lib Dem), who represents Bramcote and Beeston, said: “I think it’s excellent. I was once very lucky to be on an elective list and I was first on the list. Because of an emergency, a lot of other people didn’t get their surgery that day.
“Anything that takes the emergency aspect out of it, to deliver the operations on time, is only a good thing.”
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