About the surgical centre
The Hertfordshire and West Essex Surgical Centre is being developed in a brand new purpose-built building at St Albans City Hospital and is scheduled to open in spring 2025.
It will have two new operating theatres that will treat patients from across our area who are on the waiting list for hip and knee surgery, spinal injections and minor ear, nose, and throat (ENT) operations. It will provide more capacity for planned surgery and help to cut waiting times.
By focusing on non-complex operations it will be able to support most patients to go home on the same day as their surgery or procedure.
Surgical centres, also known as elective surgical hubs, have been operating in other parts of the country for some time. This video from the Patients Association explains more about them and how they benefit patients.
This video explains what surgical hubs are and how they can benefit you. The Patients Association developed this video in partnership with patients and carers and in collaboration with NHS England’s Getting it Right First Time programme.
Surgical hubs are Hospital sites that offer access to common operations and procedures such as cataract surgery hip and knee replacements and other planned procedures. They are typically located in a separated area within a bigger hospital or in a separate building.There may be a hub situated in your local area or you may have to travel to another area.
Surgical hubs are commonly managed by NHS Hospital trusts and meet the same high standards of clinical care and safety as all NHS hospitals. Surgical hubs have been operating successfully for years but in order to provide more capacity for planned surgery and help reduce waiting times even more have been set up across the country.
What are the benefits of having surgery at a surgical hub? Surgical hubs help reduce waiting times for surgery this may prevent your condition from getting worse and reduce the time you spend managing your health condition at home. Surgical hubs also reduce the risk of short notice cancellations because they don’t take accident and emergency patients. They also bring together experts from all stages of patient care helping you to go home soon after surgery.
How do I know if I can have my operation at a surgical hub? If it’s clinically appropriate for you to have your operation at a surgical hub and it enables you to receive timely treatment you will either be referred directly or contacted to offer you the option of going to a surgical hub. Once you have been referred you can contact the surgical hub directly to get more information ask questions and learn about what to expect with your surgery.
Long waiting times is a top priority for the NHS and surgical hubs are key to achieving that goal and ensuring patients get timely access to the surgery they need foreign English.
Choosing to have your operation at the Hertfordshire and West Essex Surgical Centre
Patients waiting for operations at The Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, Lister Hospital in Stevenage, or Watford General Hospital will be offered the choice of going to the surgical centre if it can provide their operation or procedure more quickly.
You can choose to stay on the waiting list of your current hospital if you prefer. We will inform you about the waiting times at the surgical centre compared to your current hospital to help you make an informed decision.
If you choose to go to the surgical centre you will go there for your operation or procedure only. You will have all other appointments including outpatient appointments, pre-operative assessment and any follow-up care at your current hospital.
Why St Albans is the chosen site for the surgical centre
Local NHS leaders selected St Albans City Hospital as the location for the new surgical centre after considering several possible locations in Hertfordshire and West Essex. St Albans City Hospital is West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust’s site for planned surgery and some cancer services. It made sense to develop the site to expand on existing planned care services there. As well as the two operating theatres the surgical centre will have the space needed to look after recovering patients.
Getting to and from the surgical centre
We understand that some patients will find it more difficult to travel to and from St Albans for their operation or procedure and we want to help where we can. We are considering how we might support patients who are unable to make their own travel arrangements or who will need extra help or assistance, particularly after their operation. We are considering options including the patient transport service and supported travel.
How the surgical centre is being funded
The hub is mostly funded by NHS England using national funding for tackling waiting lists which built up during the Covid-19 pandemic. The local NHS is providing some of the funding.
