More theatre space will be created at two Leeds’ hospitals in a bid to tackle the crippling NHS operations backlog.
Subject to planning permission, more non-emergency surgery will be carried out at Chapel Allerton Hospital and Wharfedale Hospital in Otley, local councillors were told on Tuesday.
The latest figures available from NHS Digital say 90,000 patients are waiting for treatment of some kind from the Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust (LTHT).
At the end of April, around 63 per cent of patients needing treatment had been waiting 18 weeks or more.
Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust, chief executive Phil Wood said the plans to expand both sites would help to cut the waiting list.
Speaking at a meeting of Leeds City Council’s health scrutiny board, he said:
“We’ve got work underway in the planning stage at Chapel Allerton and Wharfedale Hospital, which will be in development during the (next) year to provide additional operating theatre capacity in those parts of the city.
“This will allow us to improve our backlog position.”
The trust says the plans at Wharfedale Hospital alone will cost £10m and will see an elective care hub “built” on the site.
The hub would include two new theatres, a recovery area, and an admissions and discharge area. It’s expected the work will be completed in 2024
