Contractor, Sisk, has broken ground on the new Lewisham Surgical Centre in south east London.

The facility will focus on high-volume, low-complexity ENT procedures – a surgical field which has one of the largest specialty waiting lists in the country – over 650,000 as of May 2024 according to NHS data.

And Sisk says the bespoke layout of the building will ensure an efficient patient flow.

Sisk is working under a healthcare partnership operating in a Memorandum of Agreement with Robertsons titled WeBuildHealthcare under the ProCure23 model.

A spokesman said: “ProCure23 enables NHS clients to quickly access experienced and proficient partners to support excellence in all aspects of NHS capital project delivery.

“Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust (LGT) will be delivering over 5,000 ENT procedures for all of south east London at the new Lewisham Surgical Centre.

“This new centre, built and delivered by LGT in partnership with the south east London Integrated Care Board (ICB) will make a huge difference in reducing waiting times for surgery across all of south east London.

“It has all been made possible by national funding delivered via the Targeted Investment Fund, the Department of Health and Social Care’s fund that provides local capital investments to support the NHS in tackling elective care backlogs.

Steven McGee, Sisk’s chief operating officer, added: “Sisk is delighted to be appointed and break ground at University Lewisham Hospital.

“We have been enhancing our healthcare offering over the past couple of years with some key appointments to improve our capability in the healthcare sector and we look forward to working with our local supply chain partners to deliver a world- class facility and create a lasting legacy for the communities of Lewisham and Greenwich.”

The new centre will cover over 860sq m – that’s over two and a half full-sized basketball courts and will be sited on the foundations of the Victorian-era hospital that once stood at the location.