Celebrations to mark the official opening of Gloucestershire Royal Hospital’s new Department of Critical Care
30/09/2008
Celebrations are planned to mark the arrival of a state-of-the-art critical care unit at the Gloucestershire Royal Hospital.
The new £2.9 million department on the first floor of the Tower Block brings together intensive care and high dependency patients for the first time.
The 13-bed unit has been designed to provide a modern, clean, spacious and more efficient environment in which to treat the most critically ill patients.
Liz Maggs, who worked alongside the Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s planning department on the development before retiring from her position as Lead Nurse Manager, said the benefits for patients and staff were enormous.
“Not only have we increased our capacity from 10 to 13 beds, but there is much more space and light, it is easier to keep clean and all equipment is off the floor so there are no trailing cables,” she said.
The new unit is the only ward to have an open plan layout and patients and staff have a dedicated entrance with a reception.
It has more side rooms and two dedicated pressurised isolation rooms which can help when treating patients with infectious diseases such as tuberculosis.
The unit has its own dedicated blood chutes as well as the only ceiling-mounted television in the hospital, an idea which came to Liz when she worked with a paraplegic teenage patient who was unable to watch a conventional set.
Each of the service pendants includes cardiac monitors and ventilators.
The windows are heat reflective and have integral blinds and there are individual temperature controls and air conditioning to ensure patients and staff fee comfortable whatever the weather.
Capital Planning Commissioning Officer Richard Thomas said the new DCC had been built to last the next 30 years.
“This project demonstrates the Trust’s commitment to being a good corporate citizen, minimising our impact on the environment,” he said.
“Refurbishing existing facilities, where the basic fabric of the building is in good condition, has far less impact on the environment that demolition and a new build.
“In this project the Trust has worked in partnership with local designers and local contractors.”
Staff and guests will be celebrating the official opening of the new Department of Critical Care with a tea party on Tuesday October 7th, from 4pm to 6pm.
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For further details please contact Sue Bradley, Communications Officer, on 08454 223120 or susan.bradley@glos.nhs.uk
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