Work is progressing on the construction of a new elective orthopaedic hub at Llandudno Hospital.

Towards the end of 2023 the Welsh Government approved £29.4m of funding to refurbish the hospital’s Aberconwy Ward to create 19 extra bed spaces, two new theatres, and an eight-bed enhanced recovery/post-anaesthetic care unit.

The hub will specialise in high-volume, low-complexity care and will increase surgical activity by providing orthopaedic operations away from the main three hospitals.

It will also reduce the effects unscheduled care can have on elective treatment and the chance of surgeries being postponed.

Mr Satya Pydah, consultant orthopaedic surgeon and clinical lead for orthopaedics at Ysbyty Gwynedd, said: “We are excited that the work has started at Llandudno Hospital.

“We expect once this is up and running there will be a huge difference in the waiting lists for our patients who are awaiting hip and knee replacements.

“As well as the benefits for our patients, having a hub such as this in North Wales will help us to attract high-quality healthcare professionals. It will also help with research and having a new facility will also help with training our junior surgeons coming through.”

Mr Madhusudhan Raghavendra, clinical and network lead for orthopaedics in the central area of the health board and consultant orthopaedic surgeon, added: “We are really pleased to see the work progressing on the new hub – bringing together skills and expertise of staff under one roof will not only reduce waiting lists for orthopaedic patients, it also means it will free up space in our main hospitals and reduce the risk of orthopaedic operations being postponed due to pressures on the sites.”

The work is being carried out by Wynne Construction and started in March.

The company is using the project as an opportunity to provide apprenticeships for young people in the area.

Site manager, Dafydd Williams said: “As the work progresses, we are going to be engaging with the local community, such as local schools and colleges, bringing in apprentices to give them an experience of a live site.

“This will be a great experience for these individuals as they’ll be coming in to gain hands on experience of different aspects of the construction work.”

It is expected that the hub will be operating at full capacity in the summer of 2025.