Chief executive officer of Dudley Private Hospital Trevor Matheson said the development is the most exciting in years for the hospital.

“We consulted widely with our medical practitioners and put forward the plan to Ramsay Health Care who owns the hospital and they could see it was very much needed,” Mr Matheson said.

He said Dudley’s theatres and day surgery area was running at virtually full capacity which prompted the move to expand.

Mr Matheson said the new extension has been designed to provide a seamless experience from a variety of working and waiting areas.

Mr Matheson said with 35 surgeons now using Dudley Private Hospital the three existing theatres were working at capacity.

“We found we only had a couple of spare times a month for our theatres and we needed to keep pace with the demands of our surgeons and the community,” he said.

As well as the construction of two new operating theatres, the new development includes a new general waiting area, reception, interview rooms, change facilities and pre-operative waiting area.

The two new theatres also include adjacent anaesthetic induction rooms and associated scrub bays.

The new recovery area includes 13 bays for beds with an adjoining area providing recliner beds for additional patients.

Also incorporated into the new development is an expansion of the central sterilising services department and reconfiguring and refurbishment of current operating theatres and general theatre amenities.

There are now 95 full-time equivalent positions at Dudley Private Hospital, which equates to 160 staff members employed in nursing at the hospital.

Ramsay Health Care has fully funded the new expansion of the hospital.

janice.harris@fairfaxmedia.com.au