The £24m centre is purpose built to ensure operations and procedures are delivered efficiently, to improve the experience of patients and maximise the number of people that can be treated.
The centre has four theatres, dedicated admission and recovery areas, and provides additional capacity for thousands of less complex procedures in specialities such as: musculoskeletal health, urology, general surgery, plastic surgery, neurology, pain and some cardio procedures.
Caoimhe Doherty, matron at the day treatment centre, said: “The team is delighted to have treated over 1000 patients since the end of September last year.
“We’re increasing the numbers of procedures we are carrying out and this additional capacity is freeing up thousands of slots in the hospitals’ main theatres, to make way for more complicated operations.”
She added: “As the centre is self-contained, our operating theatres are not affected by emergency patient admissions or pressures linked with winter, so appointments rarely need to be rearranged.”
The most common operations provided at the centre so far include spinal injections, gallbladder removal, breast operations, fitting stents or pacemakers and bladder procedures.
Dad of four David Metcalfe, 64, from Carlisle has degenerative arthritis in his spine which leaves him in constant pain. It affects his mobility meaning he can only walk short distances. He has been receiving deep pain treatment at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle and was referred to the day treatment centre for a pain injection.
“I’ve gone from being quite active to struggling to walk more than 10 or 20 metres without severe pain in my lower back. I’m hoping the injection will reduce the pain or maybe even leave me pain free.
“The day treatment centre has been brilliant. The centre feels modern and clean and the staff are fantastic. I felt confident with everything. The staff during the operation were like a family team, they were really at ease with one another. It was a pleasure to come here.”
Other patients have the said the following about the centre:
“The team of nurses, anaesthetists and doctors did a fantastic job of taking care of me. Everyone was very attentive and made me feel very well looked after.”
“All the staff were incredible. The treatment at the day centre was very efficient. Thank you for providing this day case service.”
The day treatment centre is available to patients from across Newcastle and the wider region.
The short video provides more information.
