Friends of the Friarage visit new Friarage Surgical Centre
The £35m development is due to open at the Friarage in June!
Friends of the Friarage staff and trustees were honoured to be given a preview of the new Friarage Surgical Centre last week. The fantastic new £35m complex at the hospital is due to open on the 12th June, with patients scheduled for surgery from the very first day of opening.
Through our Eye Appeal, Friends of the Friarage are committed to funding £200,000 for the Eye Department, so that patients needing VR (vitreo-retinal) eye surgery can be treated in the new centre, removing the need to travel further afield to James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough. Staff and trustees are pictured above in the minor operating theatre where eye surgeries will be carried out once the equipment is in place.
The tour of the building did not disappoint - staff and trustees were wowed by the scale and modern feel, but more importantly by the amount of consideration which had been given to everyone who will use the building, from the patient journey, to medical students who will train there, to consultants' offices and working areas and the flow of the building to maximise staff efficiency and ease of working.
Trainee medical staff will benefit from a viewing room where they can observe live surgery via TV screens. Consultant working areas and their proximity to the operating theatres have been carefully considered to ensure they are not far away if needed.
The triage bays give a feeling of seclusion and privacy, yet have windows high above them which let in lots of natural light. Staff spoke of the desire to ensure the place feels light and bright, not just for the comfort of patients, but for surgical staff who, when working in windowless operating theatres for hours means they often don’t see much daylight on their shift.
It is estimated that the centre will be able to double the number of operations taking place at the Friarage, from 5,000 per year in its current capacity to 10,000.
Our thanks to Sarah Baker, Lead Nurse for the FSC, and Andrew Murray, Clinical Operations Lead for the centre, who led the tour and kindly stayed behind for a Q & A session with trustees, who were keen to know how Friends of the Friarage can continue to support the building going forward. Friends’ trustee Jenn Scribbins commented,
“It was great to have a tour around the new surgical centre and hear all about how the clinical team have been involved in designing the space to ensure that the layout and placement will benefit not only the patients but also the team carrying out the surgeries. The new centre looks great, with lots of natural light and calming colours and will be a great addition to the Friarage hospital. Friends of the Friarage are delighted to be fundraising for a piece of equipment for the Eye Department to ensure vitreo-retinal surgeries can be carried out here too when it opens.”
We can’t wait to see the building open and in use, providing a comfortable and modern environment for patients in Hambleton & Richmondshire to be treated, for many years to come. To find out more about the Eye Appeal or to donate please go to: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/EyeAppeal2024