Chesterfield Royal units get upgrade

The Women’s Health Unit will be transformed into a purpose built area while the hospital’s Trinity ward is given an upgrade to bring it into line the Chesterfield Birth Centre.

It is hoped the £1.2m project will improve the privacy and dignity of patients and bring all gynaecology outpatient clinics into one place as well as provide a shared staff rest room for both areas.

Trinity ward will be redesigned in the same style as the Chesterfield Birth Centre with changes including en suite toilet and showers in each bay rather than outside and a milk preparation area for mothers who choose not to breastfeed.

From Friday 11 May patients will be moved to different areas ahead of the work starting on June 4.

Linda Gustard, head of midwifery and senior matron for gynaecology, said: “The WHU will have three clinic rooms where we’ll take patients who previously came to the outpatient suite one as well as 10 beds for inpatients in two bays of five.

“Our early pregnancy assessment unit will have its own waiting area and there’s also going to be two assessment rooms for emergency admissions.   There will be three purpose designed treatment rooms for ladies having out-patient procedures and a separate area for patients undergoing day case surgery.

“At the moment there are no adequate changing facilities or areas of privacy and no designated area for day case patients. Our gynaecology patients will notice a big difference when the new unit opens in late autumn.”

She added: “The central staff base will be removed in favour of a recessed area to give staff more privacy when dealing with confidential information and discussing patient-sensitive details. The shared staff rest room will be great for improved communication between the two areas where we are looking at working together more closely.”

Both Trinity Ward and the WHU are expected to open by the end of October.