PATIENTS could face shorter waits for planned procedures as work progresses on a £5.5 million expansion at Hereford County Hospital.

A new operating theatre is being built at the hospital to create extra surgical capacity and reduce pressure on its existing facilities.

The purpose-built theatre will have a particular focus on women’s health, providing space for planned gynaecological procedures and elective Caesarean sections.

Health chiefs believe having additional theatre space will make it easier to manage planned operations alongside emergency cases, while allowing more patients to undergo procedures locally.

The development is taking shape in a new two-storey building beside the hospital’s emergency department on the eastern side of the site.

It will be connected to the main hospital by a corridor, with landscaping also included as part of the scheme.

A Wye Valley NHS Trust spokesman said: “This additional theatre capacity is an important investment in local healthcare.

“It will help us reduce waiting times, improve access to treatment closer to home and provide modern facilities for patients requiring procedures including elective Caesarean sections and other planned surgery.”

Darwin Group, which specialises in healthcare construction projects, is carrying out the building work.

Measures are also being taken to limit disruption while construction continues, with environmental consultants advising on dust control, including dampening soil during periods of dry weather.

Planning officers backed the development, saying expanding healthcare provision at the hospital represented a sustainable use of the site.

The building’s size and appearance were also considered suitable for the existing hospital campus and its surroundings.

Work is already under way and, provided outstanding approvals and construction milestones are completed as planned, the theatre is due to welcome its first patients in autumn 2026.

The expansion is expected to give hospital teams greater flexibility when scheduling procedures while improving access to planned treatment for patients across Herefordshire.