An east London NHS trust is set to start a multi-million pound expansion project which it says could "dramatically" reduce surgery waiting times.

Work will begin later this month on a £14million scheme at King George Hospital in Goodmayes to increase the size of the surgical hub at the facility.

Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust (BHRUT) secured government funding for its plans, which include the creation of two new surgical theatres.

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The expansion would also double the number of recovery beds, according to a trust spokesperson, as well as "upgraded" staff facilities and improved storage.

The trust's divisional director of surgery, Thangadorai Amalesh, felt the expansion would have a "huge impact" for patients.

He said it would enable around eight extra operations a day to be carried out once the expansion is complete in 2024.

"This is one of the most exciting investments I’ve seen for local people and will help us to dramatically reduce waits experienced by patients for surgery.

“It will help people get the care they need, reducing pain and helping them get back to living fuller lives, faster.

"Not only that, these new, modern facilities will future-proof our surgical hub, ensuring it’s able to house the latest technology including surgical robotics."

The hub was introduced by BHRUT during the pandemic to separate planned and emergency care, keeping surgical beds free for patients awaiting planned operations.

The spokesperson said it "played a huge role in ensuring we could continue to get patients the care they needed".

The hub has also allowed the trust to do its Bones weeks initiatives, they added, where it has focused resources and carried out a higher than usual number of operations.

BHRUT was one of a number of NHS trusts to be awarded funding by the government this summer for surgical hubs in a bid to slash waiting lists post-Covid.

Health secretary Steve Barclay said in August: "Surgical hubs are a really tangible example of how we are already innovating and expanding capacity to fill surgical gaps right across the country, to boost the number of operations and reduce waiting times for vital procedures."