Bath’s Sulis Hospital readies new Elective Orthopaedic Centre for December opening as sustainability initiatives unveiled
The new Sulis Elective Orthopaedic Centre is entering its final build stages, as the team readies the new wing for a December launch. The last stages of preparation see the hospital reveal sustainability plans, including a sustainable travel plan activated across the site.
The Sulis Elective Orthopaedic Centre is the most environmentally friendly building yet to be built at Sulis Hospital. It aligns with a commitment to reducing environmental impact through energy efficiency and sustainable materials. For example, solar and ground source heat pumps have been installed, which significantly reduce energy consumption while lowering carbon emissions. The building also incorporates low embodied carbon materials, ensuring a sustainable approach from construction to operation.
Launched in November, a new travel initiative encourages healthy and sustainable travel habits that benefit everyone, improving access and supporting sustainable journeys to and from the hospital each year. The initiative includes:
Four eBikes available to all staff for long-term hire
Ten eBike charging points available at the hospital
Six charging stations for electric vehicles
A comprehensive overview of bus travel including WESTLink bus routes
An extension of the Sulis Hospital car sharing scheme, organised through the central team at Sulis
Lucy Travis, the Senior Shared Travel Plan Officer for B&NES Council, worked with the Royal United Hospital (RUH) and Sulis Hospital on sustainable travel initiatives and introduced them to staff in a roadshow in November.
Sulis Hospital has been part of the RUH family since 2021 and helps to increase capacity whilst decreasing waiting lists. It is the first fully operational private hospital in the UK where 100% of the shares are owned by an NHS Trust.
The Centre will create the capacity for an extra 3,750 non-emergency orthopaedic NHS patients across Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon, and Wiltshire as well as the wider South West region each year, allowing people to have the surgery they need.
The hospital does not have an emergency department so elective surgery is ‘ringfenced’. It is at less risk of being cancelled because the hospital does not perform urgent, non-planned operations. Facilities at the Centre will include two new modular theatres, additional inpatient beds, and the conversion of two existing theatres to laminar flow theatres.
The elective care delivery model will benefit considerably from the Centre, ensuring that local people will get the care that they need as quickly as possible. NHS patients will actively see these benefits with a further reduction in wait times and waiting lists, and increased capacity to offset delays.
The region will also benefit from the 100 jobs that Sulis Hospital is recruiting to staff the Centre and provide exceptional care for every patient. The hospital is committed to providing the highest quality of care and the highest standards to benefit all, reinforced by its great patient feedback, staff surveys and excellent staff engagement, and national accreditations and awards.
Most recently, Sulis Hospital earned the 2024 Architecture Today Award for Healthcare. Designed by the renowned Foster + Partners, the building merges cutting-edge healthcare functionality with a patient-centred biophilic design that enhances recovery and well-being.
Simon Milner, Hospital Director, comments: “Projects like this are certainly a balancing act – we want to ensure that the facilities are top-notch, and that patient care is prioritised. But then, it’s also important to ensure that these new services are accessible and that our approach to sustainability isn’t left by the wayside. I’m proud to say that with this Centre, I truly believe we’ve achieved this balance. We will always strive to keep this momentum growing. The work is never done, and there is always more that can be improved. But this is a wonderful achievement to stop and celebrate first.”
He adds: “We’ve risen to the challenge of growth and embraced new services. It was important to us that we maintain our core principles of excellence in the hospital environment in conjunction with sustainability, all whilst contributing positively to our community. We look forward to welcoming both patients and new staff into this transformative space.”
Related events
Sulis Hospital opens up 100 new roles for new orthopaedic centre
Recruitment push ahead of £25m centre opening later this year.