Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is upgrading and expanding its Day Stay Unit (DSU) in block 5 to expand its surgical hub and build a new elective centre.
The initial phase of construction is already underway. Patients, visitors, and staff will see scaffolding being erected around the site and there may be some noise. The work areas will be segregated with vinyl façades to minimise this disruption.
Patient areas will not be affected during this first phase of construction, but there will be a reduction in parking availability in the coming months.
This expansion is part of the NHS Elective Recovery Plan to build more surgical hubs to tackle growing waiting lists and will be a key step to achieving the Trust's five-year strategic vision for everyone in City and Hackney to have access to outstanding care.
This is a really exciting investment for the local City and Hackney community
Details of upgrades and expansion
Additional theatres - Two additional state-of-the-art theatre suites which will be suitable for a full range of surgical procedures, and dedicated changing rooms, staff room, and office and storage facilities.
New ward – 10-bed ward to support both current and new theatres, servicing a total of five theatres. The separated bed base will also allow the Trust to consolidate total elective surgical activity there during periods of increased pressure/activity, releasing bed capacity in the hospital for increased admissions.
New waiting area – the existing reception/waiting area will be expanded and upgraded to create a welcoming and relaxing environment for patients.
Gynaecological elective centre – the current gynaecology clinic rooms for elective outpatient work will be relocated and upgraded, with two additional rooms built. A new interventional diagnostic suite for procedures such as colposcopy and hysteroscopy will be created, with four treatment rooms with integrated changing and toilet facilities, and three recovery cubicles.
Gastrointestinal (GI) physiology room – the GI physiology and Iron optimisation clinics will be given a separate space.
Urology diagnostic unit – a new dedicated base for the urology service, primarily a cancer service that carries out c.1500 flexible cystoscopies per year. The new base will also enable additional urodynamic clinics and have changing areas for patients.
Improved staff welfare facilities – new and improved welfare facilities for our staff, to improve their experience at work and support them to provide the best possible care for patients. The dedicated welfare areas will include toilets, showers, and locker areas, and an additional staff room away from the new theatres so people can have a break away from the area they are working in.
Louise Ashley, Chief Executive of Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, said: “This is a really exciting investment for the local City and Hackney community and for residents across North East London, helping us significantly reduce waiting times for surgery and improve the patient experience. The new elective centre will allow us to do 2,500 additional operations a year, improve gynaecology outpatient and interventional diagnostic facilities, and provide better urology diagnostic facilities; helping people get the care they need, when they need it.”
The new elective centre will allow us to do 2,500 additional operations a year
To help tackle growing waiting lists elective theatres will be operating six days a week, and this expansion will mean that this volume can be increased even further, helping to significantly reduce the waits experienced by patients for surgery so they can get the care they need faster.
The new elective centre will also create an improved working environment for our people, with upgraded facilities to support them in providing the best possible care and experience for patients and staff welfare facilities with break rooms, toilets, showers, locker rooms, and offices.