The much-anticipated £24m planned care hub at Princess Royal Hospital (PRH) in Telford has officially opened its doors.

This new facility promises shorter waiting times, and it will support the delivery of day case operations.

Funded by a £24m investment, the hub is part of The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH)'s ongoing strategy to improve care across the board.

SaTH operates both PRH and Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.

Committed to serving patients all year round, the facility will support the provision of thousands of more day case operations every year.

The planned care hub has an exclusive admissions area with private patient pods, four updated theatres, and new recovery areas.

It will cater to a range of medical procedures, including Gynaecology, Vascular, Ophthalmology, Breast, Upper GI, Maxillofacial, and General Surgery.

Since June 10, nearly 300 patients, both adults and children, have undergone their planned surgeries at this hub.

Matron for Day Surgery, Clare Marsh, said: "The hub is a wonderful purpose-built facility that provides a modern healthcare environment for our patients coming in for planned day surgery.

"We strive to ensure that our patients have the best care and hospital experience.

"We are engaging with our patients daily and asking for their valued feedback so that we can continue shape and improve the services that we provide.

"We are so pleased that we have received excellent feedback so far."

The new planned care hub has opened  (Image: The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust)

Jayne Hunt, the first patient to receive treatment in the hub, commended the facility.

She said: "The new hub is amazing.

"Right from the offset, I was well looked after and kept informed.

"It is a great facility and I’m sure that every patient after me will have the same opinion."

Echoing this sentiment, deputy medical director Dr Steve McKew said: "This is a fantastic investment in our PRH hospital site, and it is brilliant to see the hub open and already making a huge difference for our patients.

"Planned care services will be provided in the hub all year round, which means we are able to significantly increase the number of same day operations that can take place.

"This is great news for our patients who will have much shorter waits for their treatment."