Operating theatre at Ilkeston Community Hospital reopens after £2 million refurbishment
The operating theatre at Ilkeston Community Hospital has this week reopened following £2 million of improvement works. The refurbishment, which was funded by Derbyshire Community Health Services (DCHS) includes major work to overhaul and improve ventilation and operational infrastructure.
While the Ilkeston site is owned and managed by DCHS, the theatre, known as the Diagnostic Treatment Centre, is staffed by UHDB colleagues. It comprises of two laminar flow theatres and a minor operations room, treating around 3,000 every year across a huge range of specialities, including: general surgery, ophthalmology, upper and lower limb orthopaedics, urology, ENT, gynaecology and more.
Mat Hallam, Manager at the Diagnostic Treatment Centre, said: “This work will help to futureproof Ilkeston’s theatre facilities for years to come, and for future generations of people in the Erewash area so that they can have a whole range of surgical procedures done in their local community hospital.”
During the refurbishment works, UHDB colleagues who usually work at the Ilkeston site were redeployed to Royal Derby Hospital, along with patients who would have ordinarily received their care in Ilkeston also being repatriated to Derby.
Matt added: “Everyone in the team is pleased to be getting back to Ilkeston again, working alongside our Derbyshire Community Health Service colleagues, including the Ilkeston Hospital League of Friends, and to have such a brand new environment in which to deliver patient care.”
Thanks to these improvement works, the Trust now has 54 theatres carrying out around 75,000 procedures each year and will further aid efforts to provide more timely appointments to those awaiting a procedure.
The reopening of the theatre in Ilkeston once more allows patients to receive care closer to home, and further developments may also be added to help future-proof services at the site.
Sharon Martin, Chief Operating Officer, thanked colleagues who will now be returning to Ilkeston:
“The new theatre space is such an asset to both UHDB and DCHS, and will help us to continue to provide timely care to those patients on our waiting lists.
“I would like to express my thanks to our colleagues who have shown incredible flexibility and support, delivering exceptional patient care while based at Royal Derby Hospital during recent months. They have supported emergency services, our ongoing response to Covid-19, and on a variety of wards, wherever and whenever they were needed.
“You rose to this challenge magnificently, and I’m sure our DCHS colleagues will be delighted to have you back alongside them in this new and improved environment.”