Tens of thousands of patients have already benefited from faster access to planned orthopaedic surgery thanks to teams at Essex and Suffolk Elective Orthopaedic Centre (ESEOC), helping them return to normal life sooner.
And the state-of-the-art centre has now been named as a new surgical hub by NHS England as part of a national quality assessment scheme.
The centre, based in the Dame Clare Marx Building at Colchester Hospital and run by East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT), is focused entirely on planned surgery for bones, joints and muscles.
Essex and Suffolk Elective Orthopaedic Centre is housed in the Dame Clare Marx Building
It is one of 83 hubs that have been accredited. There are now 125 hub sites in England.
The ESEOC team received the accreditation after being measured against a set of standards for some of the most common surgical procedures, such as hip replacements. They include staff and training and clinical outcomes.
It also seeks to assure patients about the high standards of clinical care they are receiving.
Karen Lough is the Trust’s Chief Operating Officer with responsibility for elective care.
She said: “This national accreditation is a proud moment for our teams at Essex and Suffolk Elective Orthopaedic Centre. It’s a strong reflection of the high standards of care they deliver every day.
“Being recognised as a surgical hub is a testament to the skill, dedication and collaboration of our staff, and our commitment to providing safe, high-quality planned care in a modern, purpose-built environment.
“By bringing the expertise of our teams together in this way, we can reduce waiting times, minimise cancellations and provide the best possible outcomes for our patients across Essex and Suffolk.”
Surgical hubs are separate from emergency services. They are part of national plans to increase capacity for elective care with more dedicated operating theatres and beds.
Hubs bring together the skills and expertise of team members under one roof, with protected facilities and theatres. Separating elective surgery from emergency care helps reduce cancellations, shorten waiting times and improve access to treatment for patients.
The surgical hubs scheme is run by NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme in collaboration with the Royal College of Surgeons of England. It is also supported by the Royal College of Anaesthetists.
Surgical hubs bring together the skills and expertise of team members under one roof