First Minister visits NHS Golden Jubilee’s new state-of-the-art surgical centre
Today, First Minister John Swinney MSP celebrated the opening of NHS Golden Jubilee’s new Surgical Centre by touring the cutting-edge facilities, and meeting staff and patients who are benefiting from the new build.
The Surgical Centre is a £68M investment that focuses on delivering high quality planned care to meet Scotland’s growing healthcare needs, and is an integral part of the Scottish Government’s National Treatment Centre Programme.
Originally planned for full completion by 2035, the expansion programme has been fast-tracked due to increasing demand.
This year, NHS Golden Jubilee has already opened 2 orthopaedic theatres within the Surgical Centre allowing them to carry out approximately 4,800 planned procedures (mostly hip and knee replacements) by March 2025.
With plans underway to reach full theatre capacity on a phased basis, current projections show that by 2025/26 financial year a total of nearly 6,200 orthopaedic procedures will be carried out.
A new dedicated endoscopy unit has also been created. To meet demand, the unit has increased its capacity from the original business case from 3 to 5 procedure rooms. This enhancement will not only support increased patient treatment but also boost training opportunities for NHS Scotland staff.
This year over 9,100 endoscopy procedures, which play a vital role in diagnosing cancers and other diseases, will be carried out. Looking ahead to 2025/26, these numbers are expected to rise to over 10,200.
First Minister John Swinney said: “We want everyone to have a positive experience of the NHS, that is why we are working hard to increase capacity, with new centres like the Golden Jubilee Surgical Centre, to deliver high quality planned care.
“I am pleased that we have been able to fast-track its completion to help us meet the increasing demand within our NHS, and in doing so will continue to tackle the long waits for procedures like endoscopies and orthopaedic surgeries.
“Centres like this are just one of the ways we are tackling waiting times in our NHS, but to ensure we can continue to deliver for the people of Scotland, Parliament must approve our Budget Bill to unlock investment to drive long-term and lasting improvements.”
Gordon James, Chief Executive of NHS Golden Jubilee, said: “NHS Golden Jubilee, as a national hospital, is proud to help support the demand for planned care services across Scotland.
“With additional theatres for orthopaedics and a dedicated endoscopy unit, we are set to treat thousands more patients awaiting hip and knee replacements and diagnostic procedures.
“After extensive collaboration with patients, staff, and third-sector partners, we are delighted to announce that the new centre is now open, offering exceptional care and innovative treatment options for patients across the country."
The new Surgical Centre is the second phase of NHS Golden Jubilee’s ambitious expansion programme, following the successful launch of the Eye Centre in November 2020, which is dedicated to treating cataract patients.
Additional information
The new Surgical Centre features:
- 5 state-of-the-art orthopaedic theatres, equipped with laminar flow ventilation, natural daylight, and the capability for robotic surgeries.
- An additional 38 patient pods, ensuring expanded capacity for care.
- 14 endoscopy patient pods for improved privacy and patient comfort.
- 5 endoscopy procedure rooms, with two designed for advanced training through the NHS Scotland Academy.
- Individual patient pods to enhance patient experience and privacy.
Currently, NHS Golden Jubilee accounts for approximately 30% of Scotland’s hip and knee replacements – a figure that is set to grow, establishing the hospital as one of Europe’s largest orthopaedic planned care centres.
In the space of 2 years 2023/2024-2025/2026, both orthopaedic and endoscopy procedures will increase at NHS Golden Jubilee by 20%.
Procured through Frameworks Scotland 2, Kier were appointed as our construction partners to deliver the Surgical Centre.
NHS Scotland Academy is using the two endoscopy rooms to deliver a mix of courses and immersion training to upskill staff and improve the quality of services offered at endoscopy units throughout NHSScotland, and to enable resident doctors to gain the experience they need to achieve JAG accreditation.
Further information on our expansions:
