PATIENTS can now access the full range of plastic surgery procedures at West Suffolk Hospital after the trust appointed its own expert surgeons for the first time.

Consultant plastic and reconstructive surgeons Radovan Boca and Andrew Snelling will offer a wide variety of procedures to both adults and children.

Their work will principally involve reconstruction after injury or following treatment for cancer.

Initially their caseload will include a lot of skin cancer surgery, but they plan to develop and build the service over the coming months and years so that patients no longer have to travel further afield for complex treatment.

It is the first time that the hospital has employed its own dedicated plastic surgeons.

Previously, consultants from Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge would travel to West Suffolk to treat local patients – but an increase in demand has led to the appointment of two full time surgeons.

The duo are now seeing between 30 and 40 patients each week during two outpatient clinics, and operate on around 30 people between them.

Mr Boca, who came to West Suffolk from the Royal Marsden Hospital, said: “Bury is in a unique location within the region and we hope to capitalise on that by offering a full range of plastic surgery to our patients.”

“East Anglia has a high number of skin cancer cases, so a lot of our work will be based in this area. However, we are both keen to continue our specialist interests, which in my case is breast reconstruction, and will be working with colleagues to develop our services over the coming months.”

Mr Snelling came to West Suffolk from the Norfolk and Norwich University NHS Foundation Trust and has previously trained there and at Addenbrooke’s. He has a specialist interest in hand surgery, which is often used following injury or nerve problems. He also intends to provide a general plastic surgery service for children, to include operations such as prominent ear correction.

He said: “Providing the service at West Suffolk will be much more convenient for patients as it means they won’t need to be transferred between hospitals to receive their care. Rado and I will also be able to work with the hospital’s other surgeons to help with more complex orthopaedic or general surgery, which again will mean the patient does not need to be transferred.

“West Suffolk is a really good hospital and a very solid, sound place to work, and I’m confident that we can do some really great things here.”