New Utraclean Theatre for Hospital

13 October, 2003

A new ultraclean operating theatre has opened today (Monday 13 October) at the West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds.

The new ultraclean theatre will be used for a range of orthopaedic surgery, but is specifically aimed at hip and knee joint replacement surgery.  It features an ultraclean environment to minimise the risk of infection.  A current of sterile air blows down onto the patient, and the air pressure keeps bacteria away from the wound.  Infection of the bone is a serious complication for people who have undergone a major joint operation, and it is important that the risk of infection is reduced as far as possible. All major orthopaedic surgery at the West Suffolk Hospital now takes place in an ultraclean environment.

Two new orthopaedic surgeons - Mr Paul Nicolai and Mr Andrew Dunn - have been recruited to work in the new theatre, bringing the total number of orthopaedic surgeons working at the West Suffolk Hospital to nine.

This is the third ultraclean theatre at the West Suffolk, making nine main theatres in total.  The extra capacity means the Trust will now be able to perform 800 more hip and knee joint replacements each year. It will also perform an extra 2100 day-case cataract operations and 1680 other operations.

"A third new ultraclean theatre is another major addition to the facilities available at the West Suffolk Hospital," said chief executive John Parkes. "It will be a great help as we strive to deliver the best in healthcare to more people, more quickly than ever before. I want to welcome our new orthopaedic surgeons to the Trust, and am sure that they will swiftly prove to be excellent members of our clinical team."

The ultraclean theatre is part of the Trust¹s £5.6m development referred to as the Diagnostic and Treatment Centre (DTC). This also includes a two-storey extension to the rear of the Day Surgery Unit, comprising two new operating theatres and ophthalmic outpatient clinic. It is due to be open to patients in January 2004.

Last year the Trust was successful in winning an extra £5.6 million from the Government to develop and manage one of the nine national trailblazer Diagnosis and Treatment Centres (DTCs) here at West Suffolk. DTCs are part of a national initiative to meet the Government¹s promise to treat more than 250,000 extra NHS patients and drive down waiting times.

They are designed to provide safe, fast, pre-booked surgery and tests for patients by separating planned, routine operations from unplanned or emergency operations. They are dedicated to carrying out surgery in some of the specialties with the highest waiting times, such as knee, hip and cataract surgery, conditions most often associated with older people. The DTC will provide greater convenience for patients and a more reliable service, as treatment will not be affected by the unpredictable demand for emergency care.