A new 20-bed ward at the City Hospital has welcomed its first patients.
The Jubilee Unit, named by staff in honour of Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee which was being celebrated as construction work started last summer, will support patients who have undergone colorectal or simple case hepatobiliary (HPB) surgery.
The additional beds are part of Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust’s drive to cut long waiting lists for planned surgery resulting from the pandemic.
Imran Azad (pictured below), who is now recovering on the unit following surgery, was the first patient to be admitted on Monday.
He said: “It’s an honour to be the first patient on the new ward, and I’m really grateful to all the lovely staff who are looking after me so well.”
The Jubilee Unit was a modular build, which means that the main structures are built off-site and then craned into position.
This not only speeds up the construction period but also minimises disruption in a busy
hospital site.
A new modular theatres building, incorporating three theatres and an Enhanced Perioperative Care Unit (EPOC) where patients who require a higher level of monitoring post-operatively can be cared for, is also under construction at City Hospital and is due to open in late Spring.
Patients needing colorectal or hepatobiliary surgery will now be treated at the City Hospital rather than at the Queen’s Medical Centre, releasing beds there to help ease emergency pressures.
Construction of the Jubilee Unit and the new theatres building has been possible thanks to a grant from the Government’s Targeted Investment Fund (TIF) – money allocated to support hospitals across the country to tackle long waiting lists for planned surgery as part of the Covid recovery.
Nottingham University Hospital NHS Trust has also been successful in a securing second TIF grant, and planning is underway for further builds at the City Hospital that will help relieve pressures over the coming years.
Ayan Banerjea, Colorectal Consultant Surgeon and Divisional Director for Surgery at the Trust, said:
“I’m delighted that we are now able to open the Jubilee Unit after many months of hard work from many people.
The unit significantly increases the number of planned surgical beds we have available and is a fantastic environment for staff to work in and for patients to receive care post-surgery, with a focus on enhanced recovery.
As a Trust, we are absolutely committed to reducing our elective waiting lists and ensuring our patients are able to get the care they need, in a timely way.”
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