'Centre for excellence': How new Leeds operating theatre could change the future of NHS surgery
Work is underway on a ground breaking £1.25 million operating theatre in Leeds that could change the future of surgery
Construction has begun on a £1.25m state-of-the-art operating theatre in Leeds that aims to revolutionise surgery and help shape the future of the NHS.
The pioneering facility at Leeds General Infirmary will be the first of its kind in the UK, providing a realistic training environment where clinicians, researchers and industry can develop greener surgical practices.
SUSTAIN (Sustainability and Simulation Theatre for Academia and Industry) is a collaborative project, led by the sustainability team and surgical care observatory at the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) HealthTech Research Centre in Accelerated Surgical Care, in close partnership with Leeds Teaching Hospitals, University of Leeds and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).
Located at the site of the original operating theatre above LGI’s Great George Street entrance, it will provide a next-generation training space for clinicians, researchers and organisations specialising in sustainable surgery.
The “living lab” offers a unique opportunity for clinicians, researchers and industry to trial innovations, procedures, behaviours and workflows in a realistic NHS environment, providing invaluable data and bringing them together with national policymakers to accelerate the adoption of ideas and enable joint research.
Craige Richardson, deputy chief executive and director of Estates and Facilities at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “We are one of the largest acute Trusts in the country, a centre for excellence for research and innovation, delivering specialised care across the region which makes our hospital the ideal home for this next-generation simulated, surgical operating suite.
“As a Trust, we’re already committed to embedding sustainability into everyday clinical, operational and strategic decision-making and the development of this lab, together with our partners, takes that a step further.
“SUSTAIN has been designed to provide advanced, simulation-based education for theatre teamswhich will benefit our patients as well as accelerate surgical technologies right across the NHS.”
The 113 sq metre specialist lab is housed in the Grade I listed Gilbert Scott Building at Leeds General Infirmary, which was the world’s first civic hospital, famed for delivering national and international medical breakthroughs.
Construction is currently underway and is expected to be completed this summer. It is anticipated that it will officially open its doors in September 2026.