Work is well under way on a new £4 million state-of-the-art hybrid operating theatre which will open the door for world class treatments and training at Birmingham’s Heartlands Hospital.

The theatre, one of only three of its kind in the UK and a first in the Midlands, is set to open its doors in summer 2015 and will see the hospital, part of the Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust, confirm its position as the regional centre for vascular surgery.

The theatre will centre around the GE Discovery 740 robotic machine which utilises 3D technology and can be used for a range of specialist procedures including keyhole Endovascular aneurysm repair.

Adam Ellis-Morgan, client project sponsor at the Trust, said: “It will be a state-of-the-art operating theatre which will allow the hospital to provide a range of specialist procedures in a first-class, safe environment. It is the first of its kind in the Midlands and one of only three in the UK.

“It will allow the hospital to become the regional centre for vascular surgery and allow an expansion in its interventional radiology service, as well as giving the opportunity for many other specialities to benefit and enhances our surgical capability throughout the Trust.

“It is a tailor-made, specifically developed operating theatre. It is the result of a £4 million investment and just one of several investments currently being made across our three hospital sites.”

Mr Martin Claridge, vascular surgeon and clinical lead for the hybrid theatre project, explained the benefits of the new theatre to his speciality and his excitement at the opportunities it will offer.

He said: “This development will secure Heartlands Hospital’s commitment to vascular surgery. We have the busiest custom-made Endovascular service in Europe achieving outstanding results and this facility will allow us to treat more patients and allow us to push forward as we continue to lead the way in the field.

“As well as treating patients in the theatre it will also be heavily used for training purposes. For myself as the educational lead for vascular surgery in the West Midlands I am hugely excited about what this facility offers in terms of training the next generation of vascular surgeons.”

The hybrid theatre is currently under construction on the Heartlands site and is expected to be completed summer 2015.