Delayed orthopaedic centre opens

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A new orthopaedic treatment centre for mid and south Wales has been officially opened by First Minister Rhodri Morgan.

The unit, based at Llandough Hospital near Penarth, aims to provide more than 4,000 operations a year, nearly double the previous number in the region.

The centre's full opening was delayed because Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust had not been given the £19m running costs.

The funding crisis was resolved when local health boards and the assembly government provided the money.

The surgery centre, which cost £16m to build, opened to outpatients in May 2006 but did not begin taking inpatients until a staged opening of theatres began in October.

The unit deals with routine hip and knee replacements and is also offering a newer form of treatment known as minimally invasive surgery.

The centre, managed by Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust, was described as a major advance by its orthopaedic clinical director John Howes.

'World class'

He said: "This centre not only provides dedicated outpatient, inpatient and day case orthopaedic treatments from one new purpose-built facility, it is also helping my team of surgeons deliver highly specialised care, such as 'image guided' surgery.

"We are also increasing the number of patients who can be admitted on the day of surgery, reducing the length of time they have to stay in hospital."

The centre has 220 staff, of which 20 are orthopaedic surgeons, anaesthetists and radiographers.

Mr Morgan said it would help efforts to speed up treatment.

He said: "Great progress has been made in driving waiting times down in Wales in the last year.

"This absolutely world class new development, along with the unit at St Woolos in Newport that I opened in May last year, will help us reach our December 2009 target of a total wait of no more than 26 weeks from referral to treatment."