Trust Prepares for Winter Pressures with Mobile Theatre Installation

A FOUNDATION Trust is preparing for winter pressures with the addition of a mobile theatre unit which will see it increase its operational capacity by an additional 120 procedures a month.

Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust (NLaG) took delivery of the Vanguard Healthcare Solutions mobile theatre earlier this month. It will be fully operational by the end of November following completion of testing and the construction of link corridors.

The theatre will allow the Trust to carry out an extra 120 operations per month, providing services for patients across Scunthorpe, Grimsby and Goole. It is scheduled to be on site for six months and more than 700 people should benefit during its time on site at Goole Hospital.

Designed and built by Vanguard, the theatre provides an anaesthetic room, operating theatre, scrub area, a two-bed, first-stage recovery area, HEPA-filtered environmental air, integrated medical gas banks, changing room and utility areas.

Once fully operational the theatre will be used for procedures including general surgery, urology, gynaecology and orthopaedics. In addition, membersof the Vanguard clinical team will be supporting the Trust’s own surgeons and anaesthetists. The new theatre will be installed to the side of the main hospital adjacent to the staff car park. There will be a purpose-built link corridor to ensure patients feel the theatre is part of the hospital.

Pam Clipson, Director of Strategy, Planning and Performance, said: “We are working hard behind the scenes planning for the winter period; this mobile theatre is a creative solution to building extra capacity into our theatres ensuring we can see more people. This is a fully functioning mobile theatre, the kind that has been used in many sites around the country.

“Our priority is to ensure we are delivering safe and effective care. This additional theatre will help provide capacity during the winter period, with 10 sessions per week, allowing us to treat approximately 120 more patients per month.”

Simon Squirrell, Vanguard Senior Account Manager, said: “We are delighted we have been able to provide this increased capacity for Goole Hospital and that we are able to provide a clinical environment which is of the very best quality both in terms of facilities and staffing.”