Curtain opens on another milestone in theatre transformation
Posted: 7 October 2022
Patients and staff at Watford General Hospital are feeling the benefit of new facilities as the transformation of the theatre suite gathers pace.
West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust recently marked a milestone
in its theatres refurbishment as it opened new recovery rooms, increasing the
comfort of patients post-surgery.
The £7 million theatre reconfiguration at Watford General Hospital includes a
reception area and the creation of new corridors and staircases which has linked
the new areas together. Staff are thrilled that the project has also included
new changing rooms plus a welfare and relaxation area for the team.
The next and final step will be the completion of a new additional theatre.
After the reconfiguration, there will be five fully functional theatres equipped
for a variety of surgical specialties, including robotic assisted surgery. There
will also be a procedure room for less complex surgery.
The new theatre suite will provide more capacity and will play a major part in
easing the backlog of operations and procedures. Paediatric patients will also
have their own dedicated space to recover in.
Whilst the trust remains focused on a new hospital on land next to its current
buildings, this work was urgently required to make sure that the hospital’s main
theatres and procedure rooms are fully compliant with modern space and
ventilation standards.
Jo Laker, theatre manager at Watford General Hospital, said: “It is wonderful to
see the transformation of our theatre suite take shape. We are thrilled to be
able to care for patients in greatly improved surroundings.
“Our team has always taken pride in our work and we are ecstatic that the
equipment and environment matches our enthusiasm. These new amenities will make
a huge difference not just to patients, but to staff working so hard within our
theatres.
“These enhancements will provide our staff with pleasant, spacious and
comfortable surroundings, and will no doubt boost staff morale and wellbeing.”
- For more information, please contact the communications team on: 01923 436280 or email: westherts.communications@nhs.net. For out of hours media enquiries please call the Watford General Hospital switchboard on 01923 244366 and ask for the on call communications manager.
- West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves people from across Hertfordshire, north London and further afield. It operates from three hospitals; Watford General, St Albans City and Hemel Hempstead. The trust has a catchment area of over 500,000 people and is one of the largest employers locally, with around 5,000 staff and volunteers.
- For more information about our hospitals, visit www.westhertshospitals.nhs.uk. You can also join our followers on Twitter (twitter.com/westhertsNHS) and find us on Facebook (facebook.com/westhertsNHS).
