11 June 2025

Nearly 5,000 patients have had their operations at the elective surgery hub at Princess Royal Hospital (PRH) in Telford, which is celebrating its first birthday.

£24 million was invested in the dedicated planned care facility, which is reducing the amount of time that patients – both adults and children – are waiting for surgery.

Waiting lists for surgery at The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust (SaTH) have reduced by 16% since the hub opened last summer and the number of operations taking place at the hub has increased by 34% per month since January.

Gynaecology, vascular, ophthalmology, orthopaedic, breast, upper gastrointestinal (GI), ear, nose and throat (ENT) and maxillofacial procedures as well as general surgery take place in the hub, which has a dedicated admissions area with individual patient pods, four modern theatres as well as recovery areas.

Saurav Chakravartty, Clinical Lead for the hub and an Upper GI Surgeon, pictured, said: “This past year has been an incredible journey. In just 12 months, the team has operated on nearly 5,000 patients – a remarkable achievement.

“Our hub was built with a clear purpose: to deliver high-quality, high-volume surgery in a dedicated space, free from the disruptions of emergency and winter pressures. And it’s doing just that.

“It is making such a difference for our patients who are waiting less time for their operations and most importantly, patient feedback has been excellent.

“We’ve also been able to trial new ways of working. One great example is our High Intensity Operating list, where we completed 11 hernia operations in one list, compared to the usual six – with just one additional team member. Both patient and staff feedback was overwhelmingly positive.”

Clare Marsh, Matron for Day Surgery, said: “We have had such positive feedback from patients about the care they have received at the hub, which is so encouraging for all those that are involved in day surgery.

“Any feedback we have received around their care we have taken on board and adapted over the past year, including allowing patients to be accompanied while they are waiting for their surgery. We know that patients get anxious when they are waiting for an operation, so it helps to have company.”

The hub team is now aiming for national recognition, starting the process of accreditation with the ‘Getting It Right First Time’ (GIRFT) team.

Caption: Birthday celebrations for the hub