At the end of 1998
the hospital embarked upon a major redevelopment scheme
to provide up-to-date facilities to meet the demands
of modern health care.
The Hospital Redevelopment
The RUH had grown
haphazardly on its present site and despite the provision
of excellent and comprehensive services, important
shortcomings were identified, mainly:
-
Buildings in
a poor state of repair
-
Insufficient
modern facilitates
-
Departments split
across the 53 acre site
-
Insufficient
day surgery facilities
-
Shortage of medical
equipment
The hospital has
undertaken a major £49.5 million redevelopment
project to meet these challenges and ensure the very
best patient care well into the 21st century. £39.5
million was secured from the NHS to replace the hospital's
oldest and most inflexible buildings and create a
new central ‘heart' for the RUH, which would focus
on four themes:
-
Facilities centred
on the patient
-
‘One-stop' services
wherever possible
-
An increase in
day case facilities
-
An expansion
of community services
The environment
in which patients are treated has a direct impact
on their recovery - this challenge has been tackled
with the redevelopment. It brings together outpatient
services, wards, clinics and administration, providing
integrated patient care and, where possible, ‘one
stop' facilities - speeding diagnosis and reducing
patient waiting times. Particular attention has been
paid to the interior design of each new unit; ensuring
patients are cared for in warm and welcoming environments.
In addition to this new building, existing ward areas
in the hospital's west wing have undergone extensive
refurbishment, in particular the ground floor has
seen the creation of a new Children's Centre, pulling
together many of the previously far flung and separated
units. The final phases of the building redevelopment
include a major new Unit for Elderly Care (opened
in May 2002) and a new Accident and Emergency Department
which opened in June 2003 doubling the patient capacity.
