A major new healthcare facility aimed at reducing NHS waiting times and improving access to planned treatment across south east Wales has secured £121 million in Welsh Government funding.
The investment will support the development of the new Regional Orthopaedic Arthroplasty Hub at Llantrisant Health Park, creating a dedicated centre for hip and knee replacement surgery that is expected to transform elective orthopaedic care in the region.
The purpose-built facility will feature six operating theatres, 54 inpatient beds, and dedicated diagnostic and recovery services. Once operational, the hub is expected to deliver around 3,000 procedures annually, helping address waiting list pressures while improving patient outcomes.
Three health boards, Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board, Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, and Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, are collaborating on the project, which forms part of a wider strategy to modernise planned care services across south east Wales.
Construction is scheduled to begin this month, with completion anticipated by late 2028 and the first patients expected to be treated in early 2029.
The new facility represents the next phase in the ongoing redevelopment of Llantrisant Health Park, which has already undergone significant transformation from its former role as an aircraft engineering factory into a healthcare campus.
Health leaders believe consolidating hip and knee replacement surgery within a single specialist centre will improve efficiency, increase surgical capacity, and enable more patients to be discharged on the same day as their operation. The hub is also expected to play a crucial role in achieving the regional ambition of ensuring no patient waits more than 36 weeks for treatment by 2030.
Health and Care Minister, Mabon ap Gwynfor, said:
“This funding is a significant boost to the construction of a new purpose-built facility at Llantrisant Health Park - designed to cut waiting times and get people the treatment they need faster.
“Once open, the new Hub will carry out thousands of operations and embed lasting sustainability into the system. This is what real investment in the NHS looks like - not a quick fix, but the capacity we need to clear the backlog and keep waiting times down for the future.”
The minister also highlighted the project as a key part of the Welsh Government’s commitment to tackling waiting lists and building long-term resilience within NHS Wales. The hub is expected to support faster access to orthopaedic treatment while creating a more sustainable model for planned care services across the region.
By increasing surgical capacity and streamlining patient pathways, the development is set to become one of the largest investments in elective orthopaedic care in Wales in recent years.
Image credit: iStock
