New NHS hospital unit to shorten surgery waiting times in West Midlands

A new surgical hub at Solihull Hospital is promising to reduce surgery waiting times, as it opens officially today (March 5th).

There are 115,000 patients waiting for surgery in Birmingham and Solihull, currently forcing them to wait more than 18 weeks for treatment.

The site has been in operation since last November, successfully delivering 1,500 operations since then.

How will the surgical hub in Solihull improve NHS waiting lists?

The surgical hub focuses only on surgery, with six new operating theatres.

These theatres include two surgical robots which allow for minimally invasive surgery, reducing recovery time.

Health Minister Karin Smyth told us how the hub reduces waiting times for surgery too:

"There is no emergency care here, which means the team are not going to get sent off to other operations.

"The theatres here will not be used for anything else either," she said.

Karin Smyth said the hub will have an impact on staff too:

"Staff are specialising in certain surgery and so know what to expect every day. That should be really motivating," she said.

What kind of operations take place at the Solihull surgical hub?

The site can offer cancer operations as well as hip and knee replacements.

It is based at Solihull Hospital, which means they deliver 100 additional operations every week, compared to before the expansion.

Karin Smyth said that this site in Solihull will be a blueprint for the rest of the country:

"The teams here are learning from each other, learning how to be more productive and how to give patients the best care.

"This is a pioneering centre," she said.

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