A HOSPITAL operating theatre has been upgraded at a cost of more than £1 million in a move that has created jobs and will help reduce waiting lists.

The facility at Weymouth Community Hospital has been refurbished to allow Dorset County Hospital (DCH) staff to perform a range of elective surgeries at the site.

Hospital bosses say upgrading the site at Weymouth will help reduce waiting lists.

Dorset HealthCare, which manages Weymouth Community Hospital, say DCH can use it to perform surgeries including orthopaedic procedures to treat bone, joint and muscle conditions and maxillofacial surgery to the face, jaw, neck and mouth.

(Image: DCH) The upgrade work - funded by Dorset HealthCare and which cost £1,176,704 - has resulted in more staff being recruited at the site.

DCH had used the operating theatre before the Covid 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."