New "state of the art" multi-million pound orthopaedic centre to open in South Yorkshire's Montagu Hospital

MONTAGU Hospital in Mexborough is to receive a major boost with the creation of a multi-million pound, state-of-the-art theatre facility.

Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals is set to receive £14.9 million funding from NHS England to develop the elective orthopaedic centre for patients across South Yorkshire needing hip and knee replacement inpatient procedures, as well as foot and ankle, hand and wrist, and shoulder day-case surgery.

Working in partnership with Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Rotherham Hospital Foundation Trust, DBTH will lead the programme to create the dedicated hub which will be known as the Montagu Elective Orthopaedic Centre.

In the first year, the centre will undertake some 2,200 orthopaedic procedures on behalf of the three trusts — equating to about 40 per cent of the current orthopaedic waiting list locally.

Analysis by South Yorkshire Integrated Care System shows the list is around 43 per cent greater than in March 2020, with 2,500 patients waiting over a year for their operation. Two-thirds are waiting for an orthopaedic procedure.

The new facility will feature two state-of-the-art theatre units, two anaesthetic rooms and a recovery suite, plus 12 inpatient beds.

MEOC’s location within Montagu Hospital means the hub will be close to rehabilitation services and have access to the planned Community Diagnostic Centre and a hydrotherapy pool.

Montagu Hospital is defined as a “cold site” meaning it does not provide emergency services.

Despite peaks in activity at acute hospitals, the MEOC will be protected against cancellations and postponements which can be common as staff are moved elsewhere to help manage emergency pressures, particularly in winter.

Construction is set to begin in May 2023 and expected to take around seven months, with the new centre opening in November 2023.

Ranjit Pande, clinical director for trauma and orthopaedics at DBTH, and clinical lead for the project, said: “This is a wonderful development for the people of South Yorkshire, and a testament to our commitment to work together to do our very best for local patients.”

Jon Sargeant, executive director of recovery, innovation and transformation at DBTH, said: “This is a fantastic development and will see us significantly reduce the waiting list for operations such as knee and hip replacements, as well many other elective orthopaedic procedures.”

He added: “Furthermore, it will help to outline our ambitions for Montagu Hospital as a centre of excellence for elective and diagnostic care.”

NHS England’s Elective Recovery Plan wants to eliminate waits of longer than a year by March 2025.