28/02/2020 | Press releases

Come along and share your views

People in Suffolk and Essex are being invited to a series of meetings where they can share their views on a proposal to create a new centre at Colchester Hospital for patients who need planned orthopaedic surgery such as hip and knee replacements.

East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT), which runs Colchester and Ipswich hospitals and a range of community services, is proposing to build the centre at the hospital site on Turner Road.

If it goes ahead, the centre would have at least 48 inpatient beds and up to six specialist operating theatres, and would be expected to open by 2024. Its benefits would include:

  • a better experience for patients and carers
  • fewer cancelled operations, as beds will be dedicated to planned orthopaedic surgery and could not be used by emergency patients
  • shorter waits for surgery
  • new and exciting ways of working, in turn helping to retain existing staff and attract new talent to ESNEFT
  • increased capacity to treat all local people into the future.

Every patient would stay at the centre in Colchester while having their surgery, while all other care before and after the operation – such as x-rays, pre-assessments and physiotherapy – would be provided at either Colchester or Ipswich hospital, depending on which is closest to their home. Emergency orthopaedic surgery would also continue at the patient’s nearest hospital.

As part of the £44 million project, a replacement day surgery unit would also be created at Colchester.

Nick Hulme, ESNEFT Chief Executive, said: “This proposal gives us an exciting opportunity to further develop our services so that we can continue providing first class care and the best possible experience for everyone living in east Suffolk and north east Essex.

“We would encourage as many people as possible to come along to one of the meetings, share their views and contribute to our discussions about how we can do things better in the future.”

The meetings take place:

  • 9 March, 2pm – 4pm, Congregational Church, High Street, Wivenhoe
  • 9 March, 6pm – 8pm, Bank Arts Centre, 2 Castle Street, Eye
  • 10 March, 10.30am – 12.30pm, Community Hall, Station Road, Woodbridge
  • 10 March, 6pm – 8pm, Central Library, Northgate Street, Ipswich
  • 11 March, 10.30am – 12.30pm, Park Pavillion, Barrack Lane, Harwich
  • 11 March, 2pm – 4pm, Coppins Hall Community Centre, Maldon Way, Clacton
  • 12 March, 10.30am – 12.30pm, Fairfield Centre, 5 Fairfield Road, Aldeburgh
  • 12 March, 6pm – 8pm, YMCA Hall, Williamson House, 159 Magdalen Street, Colchester
  • 13 March, 10.30am – 12.30pm, Community Hall, School Street, Needham Market
  • 13 March, 2pm – 4pm, Orwell Hotel, Hamilton Road, Felixstowe
  • 19 March, 6pm – 8 pm, Stowmarket Community Centre, Hillside, Stowmarket

People can also share their views at www.esneft.nhs.uk/publicconsultation or by emailing hello@esneft.nhs.uk and putting ‘Orthopaedic Surgery Centre Consultation Response’ in the subject line. Alternatively, write to Freepost Orthopaedic Surgery Centre Public Consultation.

The consultation runs until 5pm on 1 April. North East Essex and Ipswich and East Suffolk CCGs will take people’s feedback into account when making a final decision on the proposal in the summer.

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