Team behind Derby’s hybrid theatre wins collaboration award

The team behind the installation of Royal Derby Hospital’s hybrid theatre, which contains advanced theatre equipment, has been presented with a regional award.

The specialised hybrid theatre opened in September last year following 10 months of construction and engineering works. Due to its advanced equipment and design, clinicians can carry out more advanced vascular, surgical and cardiology procedures, often only needing one procedure that would previously have required two, which saves patients having to be admitted to hospital on multiple occasions.

The team was named winner of the Integration and Collaborative Working Award at the East Midlands Constructing Excellence Awards. They now go head- to-head with other regional winners for the national Construction Excellence Awards at the Grosvenor Hotel in London in November.

Programme director Nicki Nichols said: “The construction may have taken place over 10 months, but the reality is this project has been several years in the planning and has been a huge effort for key stakeholders in a wider team. This award signifies everything our colleagues have done to help us to make this happen.

“So many different groups have been involved, including those areas that had to make changes and work flexibly during the construction period. This ranges from the consultants whose idea it was to bring this facility to Royal Derby Hospital, to the porters who helped move the equipment around the site, to the car parking attendants who helped manage construction traffic and the domestic teams who continued to keep the theatres and surrounding areas clean and safe.”

Vascular surgeon and clinical director for general surgery and urology Mr John Quarmby explained the lengths the clinical teams went to in their planning and how pleased he is with the result: “Myself and other clinical colleagues visited several other hybrid theatre suites up and down the country to find out what worked well, what we liked and what we would do differently in our own theatre to create the best environment. This also included extending and refreshing the rest area for our wonderful theatre teams, which has been very well received.”

Lead picture: The team behind the installation of Royal Derby Hospital’s hybrid theatre celebrate their award.

Published on page 3 of the October 2023 issue of RAD Magazine.