Patients in south east London should see reduced waiting lists for routine procedures after the opening of two new operating theatres at Queen Mary’s Hospital in Sidcup.

The new theatres were refurbished by Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust and are being run by Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust, with several local NHS trusts benefitting from the new facilities.

They will be used by surgical teams from Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, and Lewisham & Greenwich NHS Trust.

The two new sites will be used to carry out high-volume, low complexity procedures, with Guy's and St Thomas' providing anaesthetic support,

Already-long waiting times for routine procedures and operations have shot up as a result of the pandemic, and the creation of the new theatres is one of steps being taken to speed up patient access to treatment.

Surgical teams from Guy’s and St Thomas’, King’s and Lewisham will be working collaboratively to ensure patients get the treatment they need as soon as possible, and marks the first time the different organisations will have come together through a collaborative partnership.

Operations carried out in the theatres include general surgery and gynaecology specialities, with the potential to carry out as many as 75 procedures a week.