Hywel Dda opens £20m unit to tackle west Wales waiting lists

The two new theatres at Prince Philip Hospital, Llanelli, which have been delivered thanks to funding from Welsh government, will open on Monday 5 December.

It is hoped the unit will provide surgery to thousands of patients more quickly across Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire.

Ultimately, the theatres will have capacity to run six days a week and will cover specialties including orthopaedics, general surgery, urology and vascular surgery, although this work will be phased.

The unit is designed specifically to reduce the risk of infection, generating a flow of ultra clean air in the operating suites, as well as preparation rooms, anaesthetic rooms, changing facilities and a recovery area.

Maria Battle, chair of Hywel Dda University Health Board, said: “I am pleased to announce the opening of the day surgery unit at Prince Philip Hospital as part of our wider recovery plan to rapidly address waiting lists that have grown during the pandemic, and which are really worrying for some of our residents. This is a key priority for the health board.

“We have taken this ambitious step on behalf of our communities and I would like in particular to commend the hard work and commitment from our programme team, clinical staff, and the support of Welsh Government and NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership, without whom this would not have been possible.”

Hywel Dda nurses at one of the new surgeries (Image: Hywel Dda University Health Board)

Consultant surgeon and clinical director for scheduled care, Ken Harries, said: “This first-class facility will ultimately enable around four to five thousand patients to receive procedures in the unit annually, and together with our approach to recovery, we hope that it will also attract future recruits.”

The Minister for Health and Social Services, Eluned Morgan said: “The Welsh government is really proud to have helped to fund this new unit which will mean that more people will get their operations carried out within the same day – avoiding the need for long stays in Prince Philip hospital.

“We are really aware that there are many people waiting for surgery and this new unit will speed up the process for those waiting in pain, by treating thousands more patients each year.”