Weymouth Community Hospital theatre upgraded to help DCH reduce waiting lists

23 September 2024

An operating theatre at Weymouth Community Hospital has been upgraded to allow Dorset County Hospital (DCH) to perform a range of elective surgeries and reduce waiting lists.

Dorset HealthCare, which manages Weymouth Community Hospital, has refurbished and upgraded the theatre, so that DCH can use it to perform a range of elective surgeries, including orthopaedic procedures to treat bone, joint and muscle conditions and maxillofacial surgery to the face, jaw, neck and mouth.

DCH had used the operating theatre before the COVID-19 pandemic, but the space needed to be upgraded to allow more procedures to be carried out.

The refurbishment project is a result of the collaboration between the two Trusts and shared leadership arrangements.

Matthew Bryant, Chief Executive of Dorset HealthCare and Dorset County Hospital, said: “We are delighted to expand our services based in the community and be able to provide this facility at Weymouth Community Hospital.

“We are still recovering from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on waiting times and this upgraded theatre allows DCH teams to carry out more operations, which will reduce waiting lists and improve the quality of life for those in need of surgery.

“We’ve been able to improve the facility because of the partnership with Dorset HealthCare. As two trusts, we are working together as a federation to provide the best care we can for our local population in the most effective and efficient ways and remove barriers between the different parts of the NHS”.