Article sponsored by IHP
Poole Hospital, part of University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust, has officially opened its new theatres.
The occasion was marked by a ribbon-cutting ceremony held on Tuesday, 18 July 2023, during which patient Julie Hills cut the ribbon to officially open the new Poole Hospital theatres.
Following the ceremony, guests were invited to tour the new facilities, after which HM Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Dorset, Jacqueline Swift, unveiled a commemorative plaque to mark the occasion.
Poole Hospital, part of University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust, has officially opened its new theatres
Integrated Health Projects (IHP), the joint venture between the UK-based construction companies, VINCI Building and Sir Robert McAlpine, was the contractor on this project.
IHP considered St. Mary’s Church and the adjacent cemetery with the height and siting of the new building on Longfleet Road to ensure that it does not block views of the church from surrounding areas
The new theatres at Poole Hospital
The new theatres at Poole Hospital are part of an extension of the hospital, comprising of a purpose-built five-storey tower, which incorporates a four-table ‘barn’ theatre, where the main surgical area is large and open-plan.
The four-table open-plan ‘barn’ theatre was designed by IHP in collaboration with University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust.
The term ‘barn’ theatre refers to a design where the main surgical area is large and open-plan, with each patient treated in a dedicated space with an ultra-clean air canopy over each station.
The four-table open-plan ‘barn’ theatre was designed by IHP in collaboration with University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust
This open-plan working supports space optimisation, allowing larger theatre areas that provide a high-quality working environment with more natural lighting. However, screens are in place to maintain patient privacy and dignity while in this area.
Elective (planned) trauma and orthopaedic surgery will be the majority of work undertaken in the ‘barn’ theatre, such as hip and knee replacements.
The ‘barn’ theatre will also provide substantial support to the trauma service at Poole Hospital, allowing patients to receive their surgery more quickly, in a state-of-the-art facility.
This is one of the first facilities in the UK, where each patient is treated in a dedicated space with an ultraclean air canopy over each station.
This will provide resilience to the trauma service over the next two to three years, before the final move and reconfiguration to become the planned care site, according to the Trust.
Further, this is one of the first facilities in the UK, where each patient is treated in a dedicated space with an ultraclean air canopy over each station.
Medical Director of Strategy and Transformation at University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust, Dr Isabel Smith, said: "These theatres are state of the art, they are large and bright delivering the latest in infection control, airflow, and radiation protection to keep patients and staff safe. Additionally, our clinical teams worked with IHP in creating an innovative open plan ‘barn’ design which has benefits in terms of flow and efficiencies as well as improving patient safety.
The new theatre block was constructed with sustainability in mind especially a BREEAM ‘Very Good’ standard
"I have worked in these theatres which we are currently using for our trauma patients and they are working well, helping us treat hundreds of patients needing time-critical surgery."
Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, Mr Richard Hartley, said: "We have an exciting opportunity to create, on a single floor at Poole hospital, a collection of operating theatres designed to support orthopaedic surgery including four large theatres within one space which will ensure we provide great care to patients and a state of the art working environment for staff."
Sustainability in the new Poole Hospital theatres extension
The new theatre block was constructed with sustainability in mind especially a BREEAM ‘Very Good’ standard (an assessment of a building’s environmental, social, and economic sustainability performance). This represents performance equivalent to the top 10% of buildings in the UK (best practice).
Other sustainability initiatives in the build include:
- Measure to reduce carbon emissions and improve energy efficiencies were all part of the project.
- Water usage will be optimised using the latest technology to reduce waste
- Materials used were responsibly sourced to recognised standards including BES6001 and ISO14001.
- 100% of timber and timber-based products used on the project are to be ‘Legal’ and ‘Sustainable’ as per the UK Government’s Timber Procurement Policy.
- The building design also incorporated elements for climate change adaptation considering hazards, risks, and mitigation from future climate change scenarios.
The wider transformation of services across the University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust
The comprehensive Dorset Clinical Services Review (CSR) led by clinicians across the county resulted in plans to radically transform local health and social care services.
This included:
- Greater emphasis on prevention and early intervention, and supporting people to live healthier lives
- The development of robust, integrated community services available seven days a week, so that people only go to hospital when absolutely necessary
- The development of stronger networks between the hospital sites in Dorset, to enable best outcomes for patients and best use of resources. The plans also include significant improvements to local mental health services.
The £500m transformation of services will mean that during 2025 Poole Hospital will become the major planned care hospital for the region, providing elective care that will be protected from emergency pressures, meaning the Poole Hospital site will provide rapid treatment of elective operations without the disruption or delay that can occur from high volumes of emergency cases having to take precedence.
Poole Hospital will also be developed as a community hub serving local people
The new Poole Hospital will also include:
- Inpatient and day-case surgery services
- A wide range of outpatient and diagnostic services.
- A modern 24/7 Urgent Treatment Centre will be situated on the site, providing swift access to urgent care for patients with non-life threatening conditions.
Poole Hospital will also be developed as a community hub serving local people. The completion of this project will also see major investment at Poole with:
- 6,000 planned care patients seeing shorter waiting times
- 10 new state-of-the-art operating theatres
- Major refurbishment of wards and facilities to create improved surgical ‘flow’
- A wider range of surgical procedures available, including a surgical robot and Enhanced Post Operative Care (EPOC)
Exterior of the new Poole Hospital extension
Other hospitals included in the wider development of University Hospitals Dorset NHS FT sites
The redevelopment of Poole Hospital is taking place at the same time as the redevelopment of Royal Bournemouth Hospital, which is to become the major emergency care site serving local people.
This will include:
- New facilities for emergency and critical care services
- A new maternity unit and children’s facilities
- The refurbishment of a number of wards and departments.
Further improvements are also planned for the Christchurch Hospital site, including a brand new charity-funded Macmillan Unit and a senior living facility.
The Dorset transformation programme will be hugely beneficial for local people as it will deliver better care in much-improved facilities for the expanding population of Dorset.
The Dorset transformation programme will be hugely beneficial for local people
For University Hospitals Dorset, this means over £250m of investment, the largest in Dorset’s history, and a “once-in-a-generation” opportunity to improve the future provision of healthcare for the whole of the Dorset and surrounding areas.
The site plans for these development projects also include environmental sustainability measures and initiatives.
Top image: Attendees of the ribbon cutting ceremony to officially mark the opening of the new Poole theatres inside the theatre extension