A proposal to build a new centre for planned orthopaedic surgery at Colchester Hospital
In 2020, a public consultation was conducted about the creation of an elective orthopaedic surgery centre at Colchester Hospital (the Elective Orthopaedic Centre).
If you would like any additional information about that consultation process, email the ESNEFT engagement team.
Artist’s impression of the proposed planned orthopaedic surgery centre at Colchester Hospital
Public consultation February to April 2020
The NHS in Suffolk and Essex invited people to share their views on a proposal to create an elective care centre in Colchester for patients who need planned orthopaedic surgery such as hip and knee replacements. The consultation took place between 11 February and 1 April 2020.
The centre would be built on the Colchester Hospital site on Turner Road. Its benefits would include:
- a better experience for patients and carers
- fewer cancelled operations, as beds would be dedicated for 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 our Trust
- increased capacity to treat all local people into the future
If the proposal 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. Every patient would stay at the centre in Colchester while having their surgery. 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.
The public consultation ended at 5pm on 1 April 2020.
You can no longer provide feedback on our proposals but you can still view the consultation documents below.
We have also developed answers to frequently asked questions.
Consultation documentation
You can download each of the pdf documents below.
Meeting held July 2020
The governing bodies of NHS Ipswich and East Suffolk and NHS North East Essex clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) will meet next week to decide on a proposal to create an elective care centre for patients who need planned orthopaedic surgery.
The CCGs will hold the extraordinary meeting via Zoom on Tuesday (14 July 2020) to discuss plans to build the £44m centre at Colchester Hospital in Turner Road, which have been drawn up by East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT).
The meeting begins at noon. Anyone who would like to attend virtually to watch the discussion should visit www.ipswichandeastsuffolkccg.nhs.uk and click on “news and events”.
Fifteen minutes will be set aside at the start of the meeting for questions from the public. Individuals will be offered up to three minutes to speak. Anyone who wishes to do so should email Anna Turner by 5pm on Friday (10 July). Space will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.
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