Mobile theatre suite will serve NHS Trust during two-year refurbishment programme

Vanguard Healthcare Solutions is working with Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust at its Wythenshawe Hospital site where it has recently delivered and installed two laminar flow theatres .

Over the next 24 months the theatres will create a suite be used by the Trust’s own surgeons and anaesthetists to perform a range of procedures including breast surgery, urology and gynaecology operations and minor orthopaedic work. The theatres will operate five days a week.

Vanguard are also providing four nursing staff to work within one of the theatres which will allow the Trust to perform more procedures, increasing its capacity.

The hospital is a major acute teaching hospital which is recognised as a centre of clinical excellence. Wythenshawe Hospital has several fields of specialist expertise including cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery, heart and lung transplantation, respiratory conditions, burns and plastics, cancer and breast care services. These not only service the people of South Manchester, but help patients from across the North West and beyond. The mobile theatres, which were installed and commissioned over the summer, are designed and built by Vanguard. Each provides an anaesthetic room, operating theatre, two bed first-stage recovery area, staff changing room and utility areas. Both wards are fully integrated in a bespoke way with the existing hospital infrastructure and ensure a seamless journey for the patient.

Vanguard laminar flow theatre facilities offer HEPA-filtered environmental air that conforms to Grade A EUGMP, with up to 600 air changes per hour passing over the patient, and 25 fresh air changes. Simon Squirrell , Vanguard Regional Manager UK North, said: “These two mobile laminar flow theatres combined provide an enhanced operating suite for the Trust which will not only allow them to maintain their capacity for breast, gynaecology and orthopaedic procedures while they undergo refurbishment, but will also help them increase it. This ultimately benefits patients who are waiting to be treated.

“We are extremely pleased to be part of the Trust’s solution in maintaining their service levels for patients while they undertake refurbishment work of their existing theatre provision."