First look inside new Beccles Hospital ward after £1.65m refurbishment project
Inside the new Minsmere Ward at Beccles Hospital. Picture: LSI Architects - Credit: Archant
Inpatients will move back to Beccles Hospital today following a major £1.65m refurbishment project.
Inside the new Minsmere Ward at Beccles Hospital. Picture: LSI Architects - Credit: Archant
NHS Great Yarmouth and Waveney Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has reopened the 20-bed revamped Minsmere Ward.
The ward will then become an intermediate care unit on April 1 after East Coast Community Healthcare (ECCH), which runs the hospital, has recruited additional staff, including therapists and social workers.
It will provide intense rehabilitation and reablement so that patients can return to an independent life as quickly as possible.
Eight single en-suite rooms will be available, along with three four-bed bays with separate toilet and washing facilities. Oxygen will be piped to every bedside, while patients will be able to undergo intensive rehabilitation in a dedicated therapy area.
The new garden area outside the Minsmere Ward at Beccles Hospital. Picture: LSI Architects. - Credit: Archant
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The ward has been designed to be welcoming, logical and comforting, and uses colours, text and images which meet dementia-friendly standards.
The external spaces have also been designed with vulnerable patients in mind, and include a 'dementia garden' with seating and raised planters.
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Adele Madin, ECCH director of adult services, said: 'We are very excited about the new facilities and are sure it will enable our staff to continue to provide the highest possible quality of care. Our teams are looking forward to being back in Beccles Hospital and I'd like to thank them for their commitment to ensuring that, while the revamp took place, patients received an equally high level of service.'
During the refurbishment, which started last June, the inpatient beds were relocated to the Laurel Ward at Carlton Court in Lowestoft.
The Minsmere Ward has reopened at Beccles War Memorial Hospital. Picture: Nick Butcher. - Credit: Nick Butcher
The construction was carried out by P J Spillings in partnership with NHS Property Services.
Sean Perry, principal construction manager at NHS Property Services, said: 'This major renovation of Beccles Hospital will significantly improve the experience of patients and we have been pleased to support the enhancement of the site and look forward to it reopening.
'We recognise that the hospital is a vital asset to the local community and we have provided £500k of investment to ensure the building meets all necessary safety and legislative requirements and supports the provision of safe and quality services for many years to come.'
A modern day room has also been created thanks to the generosity of the hospital's League of Friends.
