Operating theatre suite at Ilkeston Community Hospital reopens after £2 million revamp
The operating theatre suite at Ilkeston Community Hospital reopened on Wednesday 20 July after a £2 million refurbishment.
The theatre suite – known as the Diagnostic Treatment Centre - has been closed for seven months while major work has been undertaken to overhaul ventilation and make other infrastructure improvements to the operating facilities, which includes two operating theatres and a minor operations suite.
Around 3,000 procedures are carried out each year across a whole range of specialties: general surgery, podiatric surgery, ophthalmology, orthopaedic, urology, ENT, hand surgery and gynaecology.
Mat Hallam, manager at the Ilkeston Community Hospital Diagnostic Treatment Centre, said: “This work will help to futureproof Ilkeston’s theatre facilities for years to come and for future generations of people in the Erewash area so that they can have a whole range of surgical procedures done in their local community hospital.”
The theatres are run by surgical teams employed by Derby and Burton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust who work in close partnership with Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust which has funded the refurbishment and which runs Ilkeston Community Hospital.
During the refurbishment work, which started on 13 December 2021, patients who would normally have their procedures at Ilkeston Community Hospital have been treated at the Royal Derby Hospital under a partnership collaboration between the two NHS Trusts.
Jenny Luke, head of community planned care at University of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are proud of the Ilkeston theatres team, including our administrative staff, who have been so flexible, being redeployed to provide patient care in different ways while the refurbishment work has been undertaken.”
Mat Hallam added: “Everyone in the team is pleased to be getting back to Ilkeston again, working alongside our Derbyshire Community Health Service colleagues, including the Ilkeston Hospital League of Friends, and to have such a brand new environment in which to deliver patient care.”
The refurbishment work has been managed by the estates team for Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust and includes:
- Replacement of ultra clean canopies in each theatre
- Full upgrade of all engineering services such as ventilation duct work, electrical systems and hot and cold water supplies
- New fire compartmentation and fire dampers.
Dave Clifton, estates project manager for Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust, said: ““The ultra-clean ventilation canopies in our Ilkeston theatres were due for replacement and as this work is a big job, and required significant downtime to complete, we made the decision to address other building and engineering issues at the same time. We removed all the ceilings to upgrade all electrical and mechanical systems, including the ventilation system, and undertook a full refurbishment of the unit. We would like to thank patients and staff for bearing with us during the works.”