Work has begun on a £15 million ward at the James Paget Hospital
Work should finish next April
Work's started on a brand new £15m ward at the James Paget - which will provide patients a sneak peak at what a replacement hospital could look like.
The new ward, located to the north of the hospital site, will have 28 beds - two four-bed wards and 20 single bedrooms.
Utilising £15m of funding from the Department of Health and Social Care, the James Paget is developing a ‘concept’ ward which they say will provide a blueprint for how inpatients will receive care when their new hospital is built.
Along with bosses at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, leaders at the James Paget are currently bidding for the money to build a brand new hospital.
This comes as parts of original building are having to undergo emergency engineering work so they remain safe.
Paul Morris, Chief Nurse at the James Paget, said: “We have made the decision to develop a new ward space that showcases the possibilities of what our new hospital could look like in the future. Providing single bedrooms will give our patients and their families and carers additional privacy, and a quieter environment for their care.
“We are excited that this facility will provide our nurse and healthcare staff with experience of innovative new ways of working – and we will listen to their feedback, and the views of patients being cared for on the ward - as we continue our plans for a New Hospital.”
The new ward space is set to be completed by next April.