80-year-old nurse given honour of officially opening £35.5m surgical centre

Nurse Anne Lamb has been given the honour of officially opening the Friarage Hospital’s new “world-class” £35.5m surgical centre.

NHS staff and patients came together to celebrate the opening of the hub which has already helped double the number of operations carried out at the Northallerton hospital.

Mrs Lamb, from Northallerton, who has worked at the Friarage for 34 years and still works part-time in the surgical centre, said it was a “quite an honour” to be asked to cut the ribbon.

The nurse, who was born two years before the NHS was formed, said: “It’s just a lovely place to work until I eventually do retire. I still enjoy my job and think I can still it, and I like to come in for the company.”

The centre will deliver around 10,000 operations a year including hip and knee replacements, gall bladder surgery and cancer surgery.
Sarah Baker, lead nurse for the Friarage Surgical Centre project, said the hospital had gone from 110 operations in the last week of the old centre to 222 completed last week at the new hub. “Our old theatres were lovingly cared for but were not able to cope with the demands of new technology.
“After 10 years of planning, it is so rewarding to be able to give our patients such an amazing facility. It’s all about patients and making it better for them. It was very emotional seeing the first patients go through the new theatre and recovery. This is the future of surgery, and we are proud to be a part of it.”

Patient Jason Sykes, 53, from Catterick Village, attended the opening after being one of the first patients to undergo an operation at the hub on its first day last month.

Mr Sykes had his right hip replaced after having the left hip replaced at the old centre. “It’s such a bright, welcoming building and the staff were also just so friendly,” he said. “The operation is hopefully going to be transformational for me. Theatre teams have helped with the planning of the new centre maximise efficiency and ensure the best experience patients from across North Yorkshire and the Tees Valley.

Accredited as a surgical hub by the national Getting it Right First Time (GIRFT) programme, NHS bosses say the centre features state-of-the-art technology and streamlined pathways to enable teams to treat more people, reduce waiting times and provide the best outcomes for patients while also creating an outstanding work environment for staff.

The event was attended by Public Health and Prevention Minister Ashley Dalton and Richmond and Northallerton MP Rishi Sunak, who described the opening as an emotional day and one that secured the future of the Friarage after years of uncertainty.

Mr Sunak said: “In my ten years as MP for this area, the Friarage Hospital has always been my number one priority. A thriving, sustainable, hospital is vital to serve the very rural area it covers. The surgical hub is the cornerstone for its future. It will help the hospital treat many more patients. It will help the hospital to attract and retain the best staff. It secures its future serving the people of North Yorkshire after a period when some questioned what that future might be. The new centre is a world-class facility we can all take pride in.”

Public health minister, Ashley Dalton, added: “Patients deserve to get the surgery they need without lengthy waits, and that’s exactly why this government is investing in more centres like Friarage Surgical Hub, which will deliver around 10,000 operations a year here in Northallerton.”

The celebrations concluded with an art competition held in partnership with Northallerton School and Sixth Form College.

The competition was won by 13-year-old Ellie Bird, with Paige Abell-Weck, 15, in second and 12-year-old James Greenwood in fourth.

The winning designs will be displayed in the centre.