Extra ward to ease pressure
HILLINGDON HOSPITAL GIVEN PERMISSION TO BUILD 28-BED UNIT
HILLINGDON Hospital has been given the go-ahead for a temporary 28-bed ward to allow for much-needed refurbishment works to be carried out across the site.
The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust – which runs the Pield Heath Road hub – requested the popup extension as a way to house patients from other wards while the facilities undergo a revamp and deep clean during the summer months.
And during the winter, the prefabricated one-storey building will also help ease pressures from rising demands over the season.
The Hillingdon Hospitals trust has one of the worst maintenance backlogs in England, and aims to lease the new structure for five years with an option to purchase longer term.
A trust spokesperson said that no end date has been planned for the works and the length of use for the building will be “under constant review” when it is up and running.
Councillors unanimously agreed to allow the build on Wednesday, March 4, but with conditions for the temporary service boost not to disband plans for a long-term vision of the hospital’s development.
The trust is in ongoing talks over whether or not to relocate the borough’s major health service hub, but in the meantime wants to address pressing day-to-day needs at the hospital.
A report on the request said: “The trust explains that its primary concern is to maintain the operation of the hospital site on a day-to day-basis. Year on year, despite programmes in the community to prevent admission, and to maintain patients with long-term conditions at home, demand for the trust services has grown.
“Emergency activity has increased significantly, which has put huge pressure on hospital facilities...
“Funding has usually been prioritised for front-line operational services and therefore capital investment has been low over a number of years.
“However due to the age of the building stock, capital funds are being consumed by upgrading major mechanical and electrical services infrastructure as a priority.”
It added: “This decant ward will help to improve the quality of patient care that the Trust is able to provide to the residents of the London Borough of
Hillingdon and beyond.
“It is considered that the proposal represents an opportunity to provide modern and improved health care facilities within an established health care setting...
“The scheme would deliver a significant improvement in acute medical health services for [the] borough.”
The works will mean construction over 45 car parking spaces and demolishing an empty building – but the vehicle bays will be replaced across three areas of the hospital site.
The new ward, located by the Acute Medical Unit, is planned to hold six four-bed wards and four single rooms with ensuite bathrooms.
Speaking in favour of the plan, Hillingdon’s planning committee vicechair, councillor Roy Chamdal, said: “It’s welcomed, I would have liked more parking but what can you do?
“But I’m looking forward to the application when it comes in for a new hospital now they’ve got the money.”
In September last year, Hillingdon Hospital was announced as one of dozens of sites to receive a share of the government’s £100m pot to help it develop plans to build a new hospital.
According to the government, the aim is to deliver the build between 2025 to 2030.
A trust spokesperson said: “The decant ward, will allow us the flexibility to deal with increased demand and, vitally, to carry out our planned ward refurbishment programme; it does not have any effect on overall demand capacity.
“We would like to refurbish as many of our wards as practical and the schedule of works is being drawn up at the moment. The work would be carried out as rapidly as appropriate given the logistics of the project.
“We hope to be ready for patients as soon as the wards have been technically and clinically commissioned.”
Emergency activity has increased significantly, which has put huge pressure on hospital facilities