Forth Valley Royal Hospital chiefs hope new ward will cut waiting times
dailyrecord.co.ukConstruction work has started on a new ward at Forth Valley Royal Hospital that will reduce waiting times for patients who need hip or knee surgery.
The new 30-bedded orthopaedic ward is part of a network of National Treatment Centres being built throughout Scotland to increase capacity and reduce waiting times.
The Forth Valley centre will enable an extra 1500 operations to be carried out every year, mainly hip and knee joint replacement surgery.Today (Thursday) Cathie Cowan, chief executive of NHS Forth Valley, led the groundbreaking ceremony at the site to the rear of the hospital, between the emergency department and the mental health unit.She said: "Staff across the organisation have worked incredibly hard over the last few years to deliver this major expansion programme and I'm delighted that we are now marking the beginning of the final stage in this important national development. Read more: Forth Valley NHS reveals plans to help GPs cope with thousands of houses being built "This will ensure we are able to keep pace with increased demand and reduce waiting times for the thousands of patients who require hip or knee surgery every year."The new ward is the final part of a £17 million investment which has also funded the opening of two additional operating theatres in FVRH and a state-of-the-art MRI scanner.Gillian Morton, the programme director for the National Treatment Centre Forth Valley, said that the state-of-the-art building is only one part of the difference it will make for patients.She said: "I'm just really excited about it - anything that's new and makes care quicker and better is exciting.
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