A new surgical hub at Westmorland General Hospital (WGH) in Kendal has been successfully accredited as an elective surgical hub delivering high standards in clinical and operational practice.
The accreditation scheme, run by NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme in collaboration with the Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS) and supported by the Royal College of Anaesthetists (RCA), assesses surgical hubs against a framework of standards to help them deliver some of the most common surgical procedures, such as cataract surgery and hip replacement, more quickly. It also seeks to assure patients about the high standards of clinical care.
The GIRFT team visited WGH, which is run by University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust (UHMBT), to evaluate five elements: the patient pathway, staff and training, clinical governance and outcomes, facilities and ring-fencing, and utilisation and productivity. This scheme is being rolled out nationally with quarterly cohorts to accredit all hubs in England by April 2026. While it is not mandatory for trusts to seek accreditation, the long-term goal is for every elective hub in England to be accredited.
Surgical hubs such as the one at WGH are separate from emergency services. The hubs are part of national plans to increase capacity for elective care with more dedicated operating theatres and beds. They exclusively perform planned surgery and focus on high volume, low complexity (HVLC) surgery across six specialties - ophthalmology, general surgery, orthopaedics, gynaecology, ear nose and throat, and urology.
Daniel Bakey, Director of the Surgery and Families Division, UHMBT, said: “We are immensely proud of the fantastic news that WGH has been recognised and formally accredited as one of the national elective surgical hub sites.
“The work in achieving this has been significant and started over a year ago, culminating in many hours of evidence gathering, presenting the information to the national assessment team and supporting multiple site visits. The process has been exceptionally robust and for this work to be recognised is a credit to all those who have contributed.
“This means that our patients can be assured that their care, the environment and overall pathway of care, have met the most rigorous of standards. We could not be more pleased with this recognition for our patients and colleagues alike.”
Scott McLean, Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Chief Executive, UHMBT, said: “I would like to say a massive congratulations to our teams for achieving the accreditation – we are delighted to have achieved this level of excellence for our patients.
“Our Trust Strategy is to always put patients first and to improve the quality of our services for everyone who uses them. The accreditation is a fantastic example of our strategy in action. We are extremely proud of our surgical hub in Kendal and the benefits it provides to the communities we serve.”
Dr Michael Gregory, Regional Medical Director for NHS England in the North West, said: “I am delighted yet another surgical hub in the North West has reached GIRFT accreditation.
“This achievement enables UHMBT to enhance patient outcomes and reduce waiting times for the local community. A truly deserved recognition of the effort and expertise of hard working staff, delivering the highest standards in clinical and operational practice.”
The £15million surgical hub at WGH, which opened in January 2025 and is now double the size, has a new four-storey extension, two brand new theatres, three refurbished operating theatres, an enormous new plant room with high-tech air handling systems, an expanded Operating Theatres Recovery Area and ‘ultra clean’ canopy technology for infection prevention in all theatres as well as new clinical rooms, support spaces, storage and ancillary spaces.
Professor Tim Briggs, Chair of GIRFT and NHS England’s National Director for Clinical Improvement and Elective Recovery, said: “We have been impressed with the professionalism and enthusiasm of the hub teams which are delivering outstanding care.
“All of the sites we accredited are focused on delivering safe and high-quality care, and an excellent patient experience. GIRFT’s focus is on developing surgical hubs with the aim of improving patient flow so that patients have shorter waits for surgery and, for some procedures, will be more likely to be able to go home on the same day.”