A £27 million investment in Chapel Allerton Hospital to allow more non-emergency surgeries to take place and reduce waiting times for patients is the reason for a planning application submitted to Leeds City Council. This is subject to consideration and approval by NHS England.
This application is part of efforts by Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust to create Elective Care Hubs which are protected spaces specifically for planned operations away from emergency pressures. This will help to reduce waiting time backlogs and ensure patients have their operation sooner.
If successful, the application by the Trust will see the creation of a new theatre and associated office extension building, a new surface car park, the realignment of the existing surface carpark, and three electric vehicle parking spaces. There will also be new plant on the roof directly above Ward C7 and additional new covered plant works on the new extension building.
The application also covers the refurbishment of an existing space for a new ward which will support the new operating theatres, the replacement of existing windows to Ward C7 and the refurbishment of the pharmacy block.
The aim is to complete works by March 2025. The majority of Adult Spines elective care will move from the Leeds General Infirmary to Chapel Allerton as part of this work. The Trust provides one of the largest spinal surgery services in the country, with over 1,500 elective procedures, over 500 emergency operations and over 12,000 clinical appointments each year.
Professor Hemant Pandit, Clinical Director for Chapel Allerton, said: “This planning application demonstrates the Trust’s vision for creating protected, specialised clinical areas to help us tackle the post-Covid planned operation backlog and ensure we are doing all we can to care for patients as soon as possible. It will be a huge step forward for patients and staff.
“By having a dedicated Elective Care Hub away from the main hospital sites we will have capacity which we can confidently use all-year-round for planned surgery. It will help services be protected from surges in urgent care in winter, and reduce the uncertainty for patients around last minute cancellations. It will help to reduce the time patients wait for treatment.
“It has taken a lot of effort to get to this point of submission and scrutiny by Planning Committee members. Thank you everyone involved so far.”
The proposed investment at Chapel Allerton complements the strategic implementation of new ways of working across the Trust and plans to invest £10 million at Wharfedale Hospital to create an elective care hub there.
The full planning application can be viewed using the reference 23/04517/FU on this website: Simple Search (leeds.gov.uk)