The future of elective orthopaedic care was sealed today when healthcare bosses voted to locate a new £44million centre at Colchester Hospital.

The plans had proved controversial as it will mean that patients in Suffolk will have to travel to Colchester for surgery rather than having the operations carried out at Ipswich Hosptial where most surgery will cease.

A 12-week public consultation showed two-thirds of respondents were against moving services away from Ipswich Hospital. However, stakeholders at the East Suffolk and North Essex Foundation Trust voted to pursue the plans anyway.

The brand new £44million facility in Colchester will shut down the majority of orthopaedic surgery at Ipswich and combine services for the area.

A virtual meeting of the Ipswich and East Suffolk CCG and the North East Essex CCG discussed the proposal today and unanimously voted in favour of the proposal.