Royal Bolton Hospital: NHS trust wins bid for new theatres

Bosses at Royal Bolton Hospital have spoken about the difference the plans will make to patients, families and those working at the trust.

The Bolton News revealed recently how the hospital had been given the green light to carry out the £20m investment.

The four new operating theatres will be crucial to driving down waiting lists and helping patients get the surgery they need much quicker.

The major expansion plans will also include an extra bespoke theatre hub for children’s operations.

Chief finance officer Annette Walker said: “These brand new, state-of-the-art day case theatres will make such a difference for our patients, their loved ones and our staff.

“Being able to increase the capacity of our theatres will enable us to provide even better patient experience and help us to tackle the backlog of elective waiting lists throughout Bolton and Greater Manchester.

Staff at the trust have already been working to reduce backlogs (Image: Bolton NHS Foundation Trust)

“They could give us the potential to increase the number of operations by several thousand each year.”

Working to reduce surgery backlogs, which had built up during the pandemic, has been one of the key challenges faced by staff at Royal Bolton and elsewhere across the trust over the last year.

Last August, the trust announced that 150 fewer people were waiting for surgery for more than two years, with the new expansion aimed at reducing this backlog further still.

In total, Bolton NHS Foundation Trust has received £19.6million from the government to work on the four new theatres.

Work has already begun on two of the new modular theatres with the two additional theatres yet to come, with planning permission having been formally granted earlier this month.

According to health officials, they have been designed to work flexibly and adapt for inpatient and day case adult patients.

Ms Walker said: “Our existing estate is tired and gives us operational issues, so while we have been able to help people despite these issues, now we will be able to provide the highest levels of care possible.

“This is the beginning of an exciting new future for healthcare in Bolton.”

The new theatres will be 'state-of-the-art' according to Bolton's NHS trust (Image: Bolton NHS Foundation Trust)

But the trust’s plans go further than simply addressing the backlog of surgery cases, with plans to staff the new theatres will apprentices in partnership with the University of Bolton.

Health leaders hope this will dovetail with the work that will be done by the Bolton College of Medical Sciences, which will aim to provide a range of courses and training opportunities for medical students including nursing apprenticeships and higher apprenticeships in care leadership and management.

Anaesthetic and surgical director of operations Michelle Cox said: “We want to be the best place for people to work and learn and our apprenticeship programme highlights this.

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“Our apprentices are able to not only get the theory they need but first-hand experience of providing exceptional care for people at one of their most vulnerable times.

“We are so excited for how this project will progress and how Bolton will be a beacon of healthcare excellence.”

Trust officials say that four new modular theatres should be open and ready for use by next summer, with the bespoke paediatric hub planned to be operational by early 2024.