New £1.25m simulation-based training space in Leeds could ‘transform surgical practice’
Construction is under way on a new £1.25m operating theatre training space in Leeds which will aim to transform sustainable healthcare innovation and research.
SUSTAIN (Sustainability and Simulation Theatre for Academia and Industry) will be the only facility of its kind in the UK, delivering a simulation-based surgical space focused on sustainability and the development of sustainability pathways.
Based at Leeds General Infirmary (LGI), the space will aim to accelerate progress towards a greener NHS and improve patient care and clinical decision-making.
Developers said the move could also lead to “significant cost and carbon savings”, creating a “more efficient, resilient and economical health service”.
Professor Cath Noakes, deputy pro-vice chancellor, research and innovation at University of Leeds, said the project “highlights the power of interdisciplinary research and partnership-working in the city,” adding: “SUSTAIN research has the potential to transform surgical practice”.
The team behind the scheme said the new site will offer an opportunity for clinicians, researchers and industry to trial innovations, procedures, behaviours and workflows in a realistic NHS environment.
The facility will be located at the site of the original operating theatre above LGI’s Great George Street entrance,
The SUSTAIN scheme is 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.
It is also being developed in partnership with Leeds Teaching Hospitals, University of Leeds and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).
The site is being developed as part of the DHSC’s ‘Design for Life’ roadmap.
David Lawson, director of medical technology and innovation at the Department of Health and Social Care, said: “The Design for Life roadmap supports the Government’s vision for a more efficient, sustainable and resilient NHS, with the SUSTAIN lab in Leeds being one of the flagship projects.
“This represents a fundamentally new approach, where testing the prototypes of cutting-edge products and services, undergoing training into their usage, and developing the most innovative forms of surgical practice can all be done within a single facility specialising in circular healthcare.
“It offers a unique opportunity for industry, identifying and supporting early-stage innovators with promising solutions and helping to bridge from demonstration to adoption.”
Craige Richardson, deputy chief executive and director of estates and facilities at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, added: “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.”