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28
Sept 2022
Harrogate hospital plans new £14m operating theatres
Harrogate District Hospital is planning a £14 million project to create two new operating theatres in an effort to tackle waiting times for treatment.
The scheme would see two additional operating theatres, two procedure rooms and a 12-bed ward for patients who require extended stays in care built on the site.
The hospital currently has six operating theatres, including general and emergency surgery.
Officials at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust said the move would help to increase capacity for operations and reduce waiting times for both planned and emergency surgery.
The project forms part of a national funding scheme to help hospitals tackle long waiting lists.
A spokesperson for the hospital trust told the Stray Ferret:
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The trust added that the project will also help to “future proof” the hospital for a growth in population and changes in demographic in the district.
The scheme has been submitted to senior NHS officials and is currently being reviewed.
Trust officials said they expected a response on grant funding within the next four weeks. However, the project would also require planning permission before it goes ahead.
25,500 patients waiting
It comes as Harrogate hospital is currently tackling a long waiting list for patients awaiting treatment.
According to the trust’s own board papers, there were 25,564 patients waiting for an operation at the end of August.
Of that number, 1,297 had been waiting more than 52 weeks.
While the overall number of patients waiting is down by 65 on July, it is an increase of 3,396 on the same time last year.
In a report to the board, Jonathan Coulter, chief executive at the trust, said:
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