RCS England reaction to announcement that 50 new surgical hubs will open across the country

The Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay has announced that over 50 new surgical hubs will open across the country to help with Covid backlogs and offer hundreds of thousands more patients quicker access to procedures. 

The Royal College of Surgeons of England has welcomed this news:

Professor Neil Mortensen, President of The Royal College of Surgeons of England said:

“This is excellent news. These new surgical hubs will help patients whose lives have effectively been ‘in limbo’ while they wait months, or even years, for a planned operation.  That’s why we’ve been campaigning for more surgical hubs to be created, particularly in areas that are struggling to bring their waiting times down.

Investment in operating theatres and surgical hubs is key to bringing down the backlog that built up during the pandemic. It’s great that more hospitals will be able to establish surgical hubs, so that surgical staff can work towards the next recovery target. The aim is for no patient to wait more than 18 months for an operation by April of next year.”

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Notes to editors

The Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England) is a professional membership organisation and registered charity. The College provides world-class education, assessment and development to more than 28,000 surgeons, dental professionals and members of the wider surgical and dental care teams, at all stages of their career. The College sets professional standards, facilitates research and champions the best outcomes for patients – with a vision to see excellent surgical care for everyone.

For more information, please contact the Press Office:

• Telephone: 020 7869 6052/6054/ 6055
• Email: pressoffice@rcseng.ac.uk
• Out-of-hours media enquiries: 0207 869 6056