Yeovil District Hospital to get new operating theatre and ward

A new operating theatre and ward are to be added to a regional hospital in a £15m investment.

NHS bosses said the new facilities would cut waiting times for patients at Yeovil District Hospital.

A new day care theatre and breast care unit are already planned for the hospital.

Consultant Matthew Hall said the "significant investment" was welcome as staff worked to reduce waiting times using the hospital's current capacity.

He added: "We know that, at the moment, patients are having to wait longer than we would want for operations.

"Not only will the additional theatre increase the number of operations we can perform, but the dedicated ward with space and equipment for the fantastic physio team to work with patients and get them on their feet again... will be of huge benefit."

NHS Somerset said the building work in Yeovil will be split into two stages

In the first, the hospital's main operating theatre will be given a "significant" refurbishment, and the extra theatre added, taking the total up to five.

In the second stage, a new 20-bed ward made up of single, en-suite rooms will be built to cater for orthopaedic patients, with space set aside for physio facilities to help people get ready to return home quicker.

The contractor for the theatre expansion has been appointed, and it is hoped it will open in the autumn of 2024.

The £15 investment is part of a national government funding programme aimed at increasing surgical capacity across the country.