The final bolt has been tightened to bring together a state-of-the-art £64million elective orthopaedic centre which will transform care for Suffolk and Essex patients who need planned surgery on bones, joints and muscles.
The Dame Clare Marx Building was ‘topped out’ on Friday (22 September). It is being constructed by East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT) at Colchester Hospital and will be home to the Essex and Suffolk Elective Orthopaedic Centre.
The centre is due to open next autumn and will be one of the largest of its kind in Europe. It will have 72 beds and eight new theatres, where more than 10,000 operations will take place every year.
As a surgical hub, it will bring together the skills and expertise of staff in one place for common procedures such as hip and knee replacements. This will lead to fewer cancelled operations and shorter waiting times for patients, while also providing exceptional training opportunities for staff keen on specialising in orthopaedics.
ESNEFT will soon begin recruiting to a wide variety of positions at the centre, including roles in nursing, admin, therapies and theatres, as well as support posts.
Nick Hulme, Chief Executive at ESNEFT, said: “We are delighted that the Dame Clare Marx Building has reached this crucial milestone and been topped out. Once it opens, it will provide one of the biggest single orthopaedic services in the country, in turn helping us to make sure that patients get seen more quickly.
“As well as improving the experience our patients have when receiving care, the new centre will also offer excellent opportunities for research and medical education. A raft of new positions will be available, and we look forward to beginning our recruitment drive in the near future so that we can continue to welcome the best and brightest staff to ESNEFT.”
The centre will function independently from Colchester Hospital, keeping surgical beds and theatres free for patients waiting for planned surgery. In addition, purpose-built x-ray and physiotherapy facilities will support patient recovery and a swift discharge.
Patients will only travel to the centre for surgery, and will continue to go to their closest hospital for care both before and after their operation.
More information about job opportunities at the centre is available here.
Back to top