Construction work has begun on the new purpose-built operating theatre block at Hinchingbrooke Hospital.
The building will be located on land between the main hospital and the Treatment Centre and is due to open in autumn 2023. It will replace the theatres in the main hospital building, which are coming to the end of their operational life.
The new building will benefit from the latest green energy systems, such as photovoltaic and air source heat pumps, to ensure a low carbon impact on the environment. This plan has already been awarded an ‘excellent’ rating under the BREEAM rating benchmark for sustainable design and construction.
Patients will undergo surgical procedures in one of seven operating theatres that incorporate the latest thinking on operating theatre design and technology. There will also be a separate area for children to be cared for.
Caroline Walker, chief executive officer at the North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust which runs Hinchingbrooke Hospital, said: “This is a major step for our team at Hinchingbrooke who have been keen to bring to life our plans to modernise our services and facilities. It is an exciting time for our patients and staff, particularly those working in our existing theatres, as they have been closely involved in planning the new operating environment they will be working in.
“This substantial investment by the NHS demonstrates the important long-term role Hinchingbrooke Hospital will play in the provision of acute hospital care within the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough health system.”
The theatre block development at Hinchingbrooke is the second part of a three-phase redevelopment scheme which aims to replace the old hospital building and modernise Hinchingbrooke Hospital, which opened in 1984.
This redevelopment project will be one of the first driven forward by the new Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Integrated Care System, a partnership organisation bringing together the local health and care organisations.
The exterior design was chosen by local residents and hospital staff in a poll run in February 2021.
The construction of the new theatre block, which started on April 25, marks the culmination of a two-year process to obtain funding and planning approval
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