1 April 2009
More than nine million pounds is set to be spent on improving hospital facilities within Epsom and St. Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust this year.
The plans, announced earlier this week, will see 9.15 million pounds ploughed into upgrading hospital equipment and facilities across the three Trust sites.
The money will be used to fund some large projects, including a half a million pound extension of the A&E observation ward at St Helier Hospital and the upgrade of a key x-ray room, complete with new state-of-the-art equipment.
A refurbishment of the Queen Mary's Hospital for Children day surgery unit will also be funded, costing a grand total of £300,000.
The multi-million pound plan will also be put to good use behind the scenes. A quarter of million pounds will be spend on improving the Trust's IT systems and replacing the existing cooling system, which will further reduce the risk of computer failure due to overheating.
New equipment for all of the hospitals will also be funded with the money. Over £300,000 will be spent on our bronchoscopes (which are used to examine the bronchial tubes) and endoscopes (a small camera used to examine the digestive tract).
And not forgetting the smaller projects that will make any stay at the hospitals a little more comfortable. For instance, the Trust has ring fenced £50,000 to be spent on new beds and mattresses.
Nick Gorvett, Director of corporate infrastructure said: "We are delighted to announce that we will be able to spend almost £10 million pounds on our hospitals. This is brilliant news for our Trust.
"There are some very exciting developments ahead of us, and we're looking forward to seeing the plans come into force and take shape."
