Orthopaedic joint replacement surgery resumes at Princess Royal Hospital

Orthopaedic joint replacement surgery which requires an overnight stay has resumed at Princess Royal Hospital (PRH) in Telford.

Vital work to create a safer environment for patients has been completed on Ward 5, where patients stay to recover after their procedures.

The ward was closed temporarily last September whilst the £1.2 million state-of-the-art work, which included modern ventilation units, lighting and windows, was carried out.

It now means that The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust (SaTH), which runs PRH, will be able to treat all joint replacement patients, including those with more complex needs.

Within four days of the ward reopening, Katrina Haynes, pictured with members of the team, was the first patient to be discharged on the same day she had a total hip replacement. Mr Wilhelm Wagner carried out the operation.

There have since been nine further patients discharged on the same day after surgery for hip, knee and shoulder replacements.

Discharging patients who are fit enough on the same day or within a few days helps them to gain their independence sooner and reduces the risk of infections.

Ned Hobbs, Group Chief Operating Officer at SaTH, said: “This significant investment on Ward 5 creates huge benefits for our patients. We now have a modern healthcare

environment, which allows us to operate on patients with more complex joint replacement surgery needs.

“We would like to thank all the teams who have been involved in the work to re-open the ward and also partners who assisted whilst the ward was closed for this vital work.

“We have made the commitment to our staff and our patients that we will protect the ward and will now maintain elective orthopaedic surgery all year round as a result.”