A major hospital is set to open two surgical theatres in a bid to cut wait times for patients.

King George Hospital on Barley Lane in Ilford is close to opening two surgical theatres that would allow for 100 more operations each week.

The move was announced by Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals Trust (BHRUT) in January this year.

On March 23, the NHS trust said the two theatres were just "weeks away" from completion.

This has been welcomed by people on Facebook, who reacted to the update positively. 

Lauren James, a former patient, said: "Had surgery here last week, the people are amazing.

"Wouldn’t go anywhere else," Lauren added.

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BHRUT said the expansion of its elective surgical hub, costing £14 million, would help address a patient backlog.

At the end of December, there were 313 patients waiting for a surgical procedure for more than a year, the trust said in January 2024.

Following completion of the works, staff will also benefit from improved changing rooms, BHRUT added.