Monday 2nd November
A new £2 million operating theatre has opened at the South West’s largest private hospital.
Airline pilot Joseph O’Loughlin was the first patient to have surgery in Spire Bristol Hospital’s new Theatre 5 – having flown thousands of miles from his home in Dubai.
Mr O’Loughlin was treated by neurosurgeon Professor Steven Gill, who performed the official opening of the theatre, which has created five specialist jobs.
“I have been in pain due to a prolapsed disc in my neck and this obviously causes problems at work,“ said Mr O’Loughlin, who works for Emirates Airlines.
Prof Gill said the new theatre will be a centre for major brain, heart, spinal and abdominal surgery.
“It is a real pleasure to open the new theatre and to be working with a range of state-of-the-art features such as video assisted laparoscopic stack systems, anaesthetic machines to ventilate patients during surgery, and the latest invasive heart and blood pressure monitoring equipment,” he said.
Hospital director Rob Anderson added: “The opening of Theatre 5, which is part of our new £10.5 million extension opening shortly, is an important step forward in the improvement of healthcare facilities in Bristol and the South West.
“It amounts to the creation of a new flagship hospital for the region and will cement and enhance our position as a national centre of excellence for cardiac, brain and spinal surgery, as well as improving the general environment for patients and staff.”