Construction begins for the surgical hub at Friarage Hospital

A ground-breaking ceremony officially marked the start of construction work on new operating theatres. When complete, they will more than double the number of planned operations carried out at Friarage Hospital each year. 

The new state-of-the-art facility is due to be completed in 2025 and will replace the hospital’s existing operating theatres with a modern surgical hub that will include six main operating theatres, two minor operating theatres and a surgical admission and day hub. 

The ground-breaking ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who praised the project and its potential to transform healthcare in the region. The £35.5 million investment in the surgical hub is a testament to the government’s commitment to improving healthcare infrastructure across the UK. The hospital sits within Mr Sunak’s Richmond (Yorkshire) constituency.  

“We know how well-loved the Friarage Hospital is in this community and so we are especially pleased that the work we are doing not only secures the long-term future of the hospital, but also creates state-of-the-art facilities for local patients and staff.”

Ash Dale Project Manager, IHP

The surgical hub project follows the successful completion of the Endoscopy and urology diagnostic hub which was delivered by IHP at the Friarage Hospital, Northallerton, South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation trust as part of the ongoing works under the Procure 22 Framework last year. 

Our IHP project team delivered works which involved stripping out the existing Mental Health Ward on the first floor back to the outer shell of the building and then installing a new fire lid throughout, with a structural steel grillage below to hang the new services and ceilings. The unit comprises; 3 procedure rooms; 12-bed recovery ward; admission, examination and recovery rooms and a decontamination area for cleaning and sterilising equipment.  

The work was carried out above a live hospital department working on the floor below without any disruption to healthcare services.