Theatres

Exterior photo of our new Day Surgery and Heart and Lung entrance

A £15million operating theatre building at Torbay Hospital which will help reduce the time people are waiting for surgery is now open.

The new building has two operating theatres and additional pre-operative assessment and recovery spaces. Over time this expansion will allow Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust to support 4,500 more people each year.

It is expected that one theatre will focus on breast and orthopaedic surgery, and this will help provide focus on day surgery hip, knee and shoulder replacements across the organisation. The other will be used by the eye surgery team.

Dr Theresa Hinde, Clinical Director of Day Surgery and Consultant Anaesthetist at Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are so proud of our local, national and even international reputation for excellence in day surgery that has grown over the past 30 years. Around 85% of surgery at Torbay Hospital is undertaken as a day case which we know has tremendous benefits for the people we care for, and we currently support around 12,000 people a year though the unit.

“I am excited to see the benefits of these new facilities for both the experience of our patients and the staff who work in them. The number of people we support will increase over time once the theatres become fully operational, which will help reduce waiting lists but more importantly help us treat local people sooner.”

The brand-new facilities provide a more comfortable space for people having an operation and will enhance the working environment for staff.

The funding was received from the national Targeted Investment Fund (TIF) which is supporting schemes across the country to provide additional elective care capacity, helping to reduce the backlog from the COVID-19 pandemic. The theatres at Torbay Hospital is the first TIF funded elective hub to open.

The additional theatres mean more people, who require less complex surgery, will be seen and treated sooner than ever before. The theatres will also help to reduce the backlog of those patients with less urgent need as we continue to work together to improve people’s treatment, care and outcomes.

This forms part of Torbay and South Devon’s Building a Brighter Future (BBF) programme which is helping to improve people’s experiences and outcomes of care.

The ribbon was cut on Friday 9 February 2024 by Liz Davenport, Chief Executive, and Sir Richard Ibbotson, Chair at Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust.