A MAJOR refurbishment and new footbridge for the Worcestershire Royal Hospital which will provide an extra 81 beds has been warmly welcomed by Worcester MP Robin Walker.
The new bridge will link the main building to the second floor of the Aconbury East development and the £3million needed for the scheme is the first part of a £29million boost for acute hospitals across the county announced in July last year.
The funding is the biggest capital investment in the trust since Worcestershire Royal Hospital opened back in 2002 was a campaign pledge by Mr Walker in the 2017 General Election.
The link bridge development and the refurbishment will allow health chiefs to further seperate elective and emergency care so there should be fewer cancellations of elective surgery due to bed availability.
Patients will also be taken straight to the new wards after surgery and the new link will also reduce the use of ambulances and the time taken to move people from one part of the hospital to another.
With construction set to begin as early as April of this year, the link bridge will also provide access to two other ward areas in Aconbury West and Aconbury North providing care for more acute patients.
Speaking after the announcement, Mr Walker said: “I know from concerns raised with me over the years about the pressures bed capacity at the Royal and I know that increased provision of beds is one of the biggest priorities for improvement.
“I have been pressing Government first to confirm this vital investment and then to deliver it as soon as possible and I am glad to see the first element of it being put to use.”
“The £29 million of Government funding announced last year is vital to provide top quality care in Worcester and was the result of years’ worth of campaigning from many people including county MPs.
“It is excellent to see the new Acute Trust management taking this to heart and delivering these much-needed improvements quickly. Along with the range of measures being taken to fill vacancies amongst clinical staff, to improve management performance and safety this expansion is a crucial component of the plan to raise capacity and improve the patient experience at our local hospital.”
