FM gets behind-the-scenes look at North Wales’ new orthopaedic centre

The new centre, at Llandudno Hospital, is a purpose-built orthopaedic facility funded by Welsh Government to help reduce waiting times across North Wales.

The surgical hub will focus on high-volume, low-complexity operations. It will be able to carry out 1,900 operations, treating an extra 730 people every year.

It includes 19 additional beds, alongside two new operating theatres and an eight-bed enhanced recovery and post-anaesthetic care unit.

The centre will reduce cancellations and speed up treatment by separating planned care from urgent and emergency services.

The first people are due to be treated next month, marking a significant milestone in improving access to timely orthopaedic surgery in North Wales.

The Welsh Government has provided £29 million for the project.

The First Minister said:

"I'm delighted to have a behind-the-scenes look at this new, dedicated orthopaedic surgical hub, which is great news for people who need surgery in North Wales.

"We know that emergency care can have a real impact on waiting lists for surgery. Creating a dedicated site like this will help protect surgery and make sure more people get their operations on time.

"Following the additional investment we've provided and the hard work of NHS staff, we've seen a record fall in NHS waiting lists - they are now at their lowest level in almost 6 years.

"The North Wales Surgical Centre, together with other investments in our NHS, will help improve access to care and bring waiting times down even further."

Dyfed Edwards, Chair of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board said:

"This is a significant step forward for planned care services in North Wales. The development of the North Wales Surgical Centre at Llandudno Hospital will help us to protect planned care from the pressures of urgent and emergency demand. It will also make a real difference to our patients who have been waiting for treatment and want to get back to living their lives without pain or limitation.

"We are grateful for the support of the Welsh Government in making this investment possible, and to our staff who are working hard to bring this new facility into operation.

"We look forward to welcoming our first patients during May 2026."