New ward for Salisbury District Hospital 'topped out'

The unit will be known as the Imber ward, as chosen by staff

An artists' impression of what the new Imber ward will look like
Author: Faye TryhornPublished 26th Oct 2023

A new ward for Salisbury District Hospital now has a name, as construction continues.

The £14 million unit that's being built near the Sarum entrance to the hospital will provide an extra 24 beds in a state-of-the-art setting.

A topping out ceremony's been held there, to mark the external structural works being finished.

Once it fully opens in Spring 2024, it'll be known as the Imber ward, with the name chosen by staff.

All of the wards at SDH are named after local places - with the latest being a tribute to the 'ghost' village that was taken over by the military to train American troops during the Second World War.

That happened in the same year - 1943 - as a field hospital first opened at Odstock.

The new ward has been 'topped out' and is expected to fully open to patients in Spring next year

Clinical teams have been involved in the design for the new ward, which will be used for elective surgery recovery.

Elderly patients will be cared for in a dedicated space, in turn allowing surgical beds to be better utilised, to deliver much-needed elective care such as day surgery.

The external structure for the Imber Ward is now complete, but there's plenty more work to go

Stacey Hunter, Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust CEO, said:

”We are delighted with the progress being made in the construction of our new ward, and it’s great to have given it a name. Imber Ward will provide elderly care in a state-of-the-art modern environment, supporting the Trust’s elective recovery programme.

"The ward marks a major milestone in our Trust’s efforts to deliver the very best compassionate, effective care to our community.”

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