A new NHS surgery treatment centre constructed in less than four months on the Queen Mary’s Hospital, Roehampton site will start treating patients on Monday, 14 June.

The new centre has been set up in direct response to the Covid-19 pandemic, which has led to longer waiting times for some patients across south west London awaiting routine operations and procedures.

The new facility has been constructed in just under four months, and is located on the Queen Mary’s Hospital, Roehampton site. It is being run by St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, but will be also used by surgical teams from Kingston Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, and over time, be available for use by patients from across south west London requiring day surgery procedures.

The new Surgery Treatment Centre has four dedicated operating theatres and a recovery area – and will carry out day surgery procedures only. It will provide surgical teams across south west London with protected theatre time to ensure patients waiting for routine procedures get the treatment they need.

Many patients have experienced longer waiting times for routine procedures as a result of steps that Trusts in south west London and across the country have taken to keep patients and hospitals safe during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Procedures that will be carried out at the new centre include plastic surgery procedures for skin cancer, as well diagnostic urology procedures (e.g. cystoscopies). The range of procedures carried out at the centre will be expanded over the coming weeks, and include gynaecological, vascular, general surgery and maxillofacial procedures.

Jacqueline Totterdell, Chief Executive at St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said:

“This is a really positive step forward for the NHS in south west London, and the communities we serve. Local healthcare providers are working together to ensure patients get the treatment they need as quickly as possible. Surgical teams from different hospitals will benefit from this new, innovative, purpose built facility, that will support our recovery from Covid-19, as we reduce the number of patients who are waiting longer than planned for routine procedures.”

Jo Farrar, Chief Executive at Kingston Hospital NHS Foundation Trust said:

“We are delighted to be able to make use of this additional theatre capacity on the Queen Mary’s Hospital site, ensuring that more of our patients get the treatment they need in a timely way. It has been great to work with our NHS partners in SW London to get this additional capacity up and running so quickly for the benefit of local people.”

Dr Andrew Murray, Merton GP and Clinical Chair at NHS South West London Clinical Commissioning Group, added:

“Creating this centre in just a few short months is an incredible achievement and is testament to our efforts to build back NHS services now that Covid-19 hospital cases have reduced thanks to the vaccination programme’s success.

“The opening of this fantastic new facility is not only good news for our patients in the Roehampton and Wandsworth areas but also for people across south west London as the NHS aims to rapidly recover routine services affected by the pandemic and ensure people get the treatment they need as quickly as possible.”