A new multimillion-pound theatre complex at Maidstone Hospital will provide three operating theatres and 24 dedicated surgical beds to patients undergoing planned orthopaedic surgery for arthritic conditions and soft tissue injuries affecting the bones and joints.

Once complete, the building will be known as the Kent and Medway Orthopaedic Centre and will treat patients from across the region, increasing the Trust’s capacity for planned surgical procedures.

The Centre will be located separately from the main Hospital building and the Emergency Department. This will enable the Centre to focus on specially designed care for patients, helping to deliver many more operations and reducing the length of time patients stay in hospital.

The new Centre is part of a national scheme to deliver more than 50 new surgical hubs across England, providing around 100 more operating theatres and 1,000 more beds. It is estimated the new hubs will deliver almost two million extra routine operations to reduce waiting lists over the next three years, backed by £1.5 billion in government funding.