The Cheshire and Merseyside Surgical Centre, part of the Victoria Infirmary in Northwich, will treat around 12,000 patients every year, including a large number of high-volume low-complexity patients from across the region who require less-complex operations and procedures.  

Dr Michael Gregory, regional medical director for NHS England in the North West, said: ‘The new Cheshire and Merseyside Surgical Centre is a fantastic addition to the North West and will help to tackle the backlog of patients waiting for care across the region.

‘Despite the progress teams have made, there are still too many people waiting too long for elective care, but dedicated surgical hubs are making a real impact, reducing waiting times significantly for patients, and at the same time, improving their experience of care.'

The centre will also help tackle waiting lists for cataract surgery by becoming a regional centre of excellence.

Trusts across the North West performed almost 2,000 (1,847) more planned surgeries in March 2025 than in the same month in 2024. In the same period, teams also slashed the number of people waiting more than 65-weeks for surgery by more than 2,300 people.