Publish date: 30 April 2024
Final phase of the multimillion-pound refurbishment of Hexham General Hospital
Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has invested more than £15 million to improve facilities at Hexham General Hospital for staff and patients.
Over the past 18 months, the programme has delivered a brand-new maternity unit with a number of other building projects including an oncology day unit, women’s health unit, endoscopy service, oral surgery and dental unit - all due to be fully completed by the summer of 2024.
The final phase will see the hospital’s current four operating theatres fully refurbished to create a fantastic, modern resource at Hexham that will support innovations like robot surgery which is proving so successful for patients at other hospital sites managed by Northumbria Healthcare.
The work will see all four operating theatres fitted out with the most modern laminar flow systems which circulates air around the surgical area, minimising the risk of infection for patients.
This will mean much greater flexibility and resilience for surgeons and patients at Hexham by creating an environment that can be used for both surgical and orthopaedic procedures.
The current theatre suite at Hexham will need to close for approximately 12 months while the work is completed, with patients and staff moving to either Alnwick Infirmary or North Tyneside or Wansbeck general hospitals for operations that need a general anaesthetic.
The work is anticipated to begin in September/October 2024 with surgical capacity increased at other Northumbria Healthcare hospitals to ensure the flow of patients can continue at the usual pace.
This investment in Hexham’s local hospital is a positive move to future proof the facilities.
August 2024 update
The date for the redevelopment programme has now been confirmed.
The current theatre suite at Hexham will need to close for approximately 12 months while the work is completed. The closure date has now been confirmed as 18 October 2024. From this date, surgical capacity will be increased at other Northumbria Healthcare hospitals to ensure the flow of patients can continue at the usual pace.
For patients, this means that pre-assessment and outpatient appointments will continue at Hexham General Hospital. Surgical procedures will take place at either Alnwick Infirmary or North Tyneside or Wansbeck general hospitals for operations that need a general anaesthetic.
While this local disruption has not been taken lightly, it was felt that the alternative ways of completing the vital work would either take too long or add even more disruption to the hospital site.