A new £15m orthopaedic surgery is due to open its doors in South Yorkshire on Monday.
The NHS said hip and knee replacement patients at the Mexborough Elective Orthopaedic Centre of Excellence (MEOC) could be out the same day, as it prepared for its first procedure.
The centre, located at the Montagu Hospital, will operate for 50 weeks a year.
A spokesperson said the service would make a “huge difference”.
The centre will also specialise in hand and wrist surgery, foot and ankle treatments and arm, shoulder and carpal procedures.
Specialist equipment at the centre includes a C-Arm – an advanced medical imaging device based on X-ray technology.
The MEOC is part of a national initiative to reduce waiting lists and it will be one of two orthopaedic surgical hubs sponsored by the South Yorkshire Integrated Care System (ICS).
Construction began in July 2023 and was completed by December.
Richard Parker, Chief Executive at Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (DBTH), said: “The MEOC will help to not only reduce waiting lists for orthopaedic treatment in the locality, but also reduce health inequalities, as the South Yorkshire area it serves sits within one of the most deprived areas in the country.”
The centre is a collaboration between three hospital trusts – DBTH, Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and the Rotherham Foundation Trust.
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