Bassetlaw hospital welcomes NHS strategy chief to tour new service developments

The visit from Chris Hopson follows DBTH's recent success in securing several multi-million pound investments to redevelop and introduce new services at both its Bassetlaw Hospital and Montagu Hospital sites.

Led by Richard Parker OBE, Chief Executive at DBTH, the tour commenced by visiting the newly opened Endoscopy Unit within the Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) and Mexborough Elective Orthopaedic Centre of Excellence (MEOC), both located within Montagu Hospital.

Chris Hopson said: “It was fantastic to see the impressive new capital projects they have undertaken. These investments represent a commitment to providing high-quality healthcare services for the community, and it's encouraging to see such innovative approaches to improving patient care."

In total, the Trust has received funding of just under £25 million to develop the CDC, of which £9 million was used to create the new endoscopy suite, with an imaging suite to follow in the coming months.

At present, the service is available to patients in Doncaster and Bassetlaw, however from mid-2024, the team will also care for individuals from Rotherham and Barnsley. In all, the Trust anticipates that by September 2024, around 1,600 procedures will have been carried out within the state-of-the-art facility.

The tour then proceeded to the MEOC, a collaborative effort between DBTH, Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, and The Rotherham Foundation Trust. Specialising in orthopaedic procedures, this centre offers reliable surgical appointments for local residents, safeguarded from the impact of seasonal pressures.

The MEOC is part of a national initiative to reduce waiting lists, and will be one of two orthopaedic surgical hubs sponsored by the South Yorkshire Integrated Care System (ICS). The project was delivered following investment of just under £15 million, with construction beginning in July and completed in December 2023.

It is anticipated that knee and hip replacement patients will be able to go home the same day as their surgery.

Chris Hopson was given a tour of the purpose-built unit being constructed, funded by a £17.6 million pledge from the UK government. The project aims to enhance emergency care services alongside enabling 24/7 inpatient paediatric care.