Part of effort to tackle huge backlog in surgeries caused by pandemic

Queen Mary's Hospital in Roehampton. Picture: St George's NHS Trust

Four new mobile operating theatres are being set up in the car park at Queen Mary’s Hospital in Roehampton to help tackle long waiting times.

Work to install the modular operating theatres began this Monday (15 March).

St George’s Hospital Trust, which runs Queen Mary’s, said the theatres are being set up as a direct result of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has led to longer waiting times for patients waiting for routine operations and procedures across South West London.

The mobile theatres and dedicated recovery areas are standalone, and will enable surgical teams to carry out many extra operations for a range of routine, day-case procedures.

All pre- and post-operative care will still be provided at a patient’s usual local hospital.

Local residents may spot a large crane being used in the coming days and weeks to lift the units into place.

It is expected that all units will be in place by the end of the month.

Because the theatres will be situated in the car park, the number of parking spaces at the hospital will be reduced and access to the hospital site is likely to take longer for a temporary period.

St George’s Trust says traffic marshals will be on hand to help manage traffic flow.

Queen Mary’s Covid-19 vaccine hub is also situated on the car park and will be opening this Monday (15 March).

It is London’s first purpose-built vaccination site, and has been constructed in just a couple of weeks.

Last week surge coronavirus testing was rolled out in parts of Roehampton (where Queen Mary’s is situated) and Battersea after “a small number of cases” of the South African variant were found there that cannot be traced back to international travel.

Sian Bayley - Local Democracy Reporter

March 15, 2021