The Arnau de Vilanova hospital in Lleida will transfer part of its surgical activity to the Santa Maria hospital and the Mi NovAliança clinic starting in May due to the new phase of the expansion works of the surgical block. The reorganization will initially affect between 60 and 70 weekly operations, close to half of the 136 interventions that the center performs on average, and will likely be maintained until the end of 2028.
What operations will continue at Arnau and which will be transferred
The reduction of activity at Arnau coincides with the start of work on the interiors of the surgical block, after a first stage focused on the structure and steel floors. In the reference hospital of Lleida, the most complex surgeries will be maintained, such as oncological, robotic, urgent, pediatric, and some specialties like spine. Births will also continue to be attended at Arnau.
The Santa Maria hospital will assume otorhinolaryngology, urology, traumatology, gynecology, and digestive surgery interventions. For its part, Mi NovAliança will receive outpatient ophthalmology surgery, such as cataracts, and general surgery procedures that do not require hospital admission.
"Each patient will receive personalized communication informing them of the place where the procedure will take place" - Núria Nadal, director of Arnau de Vilanova
A joint device until the end of 2028
The Health department's forecast places the period of greatest impact from referrals between August 2027 and February 2028. To coordinate this stage, a unified surgical board has been established with the intention of maintaining care continuity throughout the process.
"The same professionals will attend to you" - Rosa M. Pérez, Health delegate
The same official remarked that patients will have their needs covered and assistance and follow-up guaranteed at their reference hospital. The objective, she pointed out, is that citizens do not perceive changes in care beyond the transfer of part of the activity to other areas of the public health system.
Núria Nadal defended that the planning has been done with defined clinical protocols and criteria and in a consensual manner with professionals, services, and different levels of the center. She also admitted that the new organization poses a coordination challenge, although she assured that it is being addressed with shared management and governance tools.
An expansion to gain surgical capacity
The expansion of the Arnau surgical block began in 2021 and has a budget of 26.7 million euros for works and 17.4 million for equipment. The material execution is carried out by Infraestructures de la Generalitat, while the technological endowment will be financed by CatSalut.
When the performance is finished, the hospital will go from 14 to 24 operating rooms. The forecast is that the new spaces will be put into operation progressively to avoid an increase in waiting lists. In addition, high technology will be incorporated to assume complex interventions that are currently still referred to Barcelona, along with the renovation of the surgical patient reception areas and postoperative recovery and resuscitation.
The reorganization will mark the coming years of surgical activity in Lleida, with a distribution of interventions between the Arnau, Santa Maria and Mi NovAliança while work progresses, set to redefine the capacity of the reference hospital in the Lleida plain.