Whitby Hospital as 'ready as it can be' to cope with demand this winter
£13 million has been spent to refurbish the hospital
Last updated 4th Oct 2022
There has not been a 'let up' in pressures on the NHS since the pandemic at Whitby Community Hospital.
Staff there say they are 'ready as they can be' to cope with demand this winter.
Whitby Hospital has had a £13 million refurbishment to modernise and upgrade its facilities.
It is managed by Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust and its Chief Executive, Michele Moran, said: "We've made it a lot more modern, there's more glass work and it's a very light premise. We've made each of the consulting rooms and all the different aspects are the most up-to-date and modern as we can have it. You've got state-of-the-art radiology machines in there, great physiotherapy rooms, great audiology rooms and it's a lot more child friendly.
"Now that we've got an Urgent Treatment Centre, it's really good because if people used to go before it was in the basement of the hospital. It was one or two rooms but now we've got proper, large and roomy bays. The way it's been designed is that it looks really airy and spacious. It's almost like it's a new build.
"We're still continuing to do outpatients in there, lots of access to services but also more up-to-date equipment so we can refer people to the hospital a lot easier. We've also started to work a lot closer with GPs, there's a cafe in there so there's a lot more facilites, easier access, a lot better car parking and access for those with disabilities.
"We've really hadn't had a let up in the pressures all the way through the pandemic to be honest and all the way through this year the challenges have been huge. We feel we're as ready as we can be. I've heard feedback from people who've used the Urgent Treatment Centre have been in and out in 10 to 15 minutes, which as somebody has said, we wouldn't get that anywhere else in the country.
"People need to continue to stay safe. Covid is still there and amongst us so please continue to use all the precautions that you've been doing; regular hand washing, try to keep a bit of social distance between people and I would recommend that if you are in close spaces, particularly in winter, to maybe think about putting a mask on. It's not mandatory but you may want to do that but most importantly though, have your boosters."
Plans to redevelop Whitby Hospital were first explored by NHS Property Services and NHS Hambleton, Richmondshire and Whitby Clinical Commissioning Group (now Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board) in 2014, as part of a wider ‘Fit 4 the Future’ vision. Their aim was to transform community services, to deliver sustainable health and social care for Whitby and the surrounding areas.
Contractors, BAM, have been at the site since March 2020, with the main tower block opening in October 2021.