3 August 2009
A picture released today by the Trust offers a sneak preview into the size and scale of its plan to invest £190 million redeveloping St Helier Hospital.
The plan includes demolishing the hospital's five-storey Ferguson House and replacing it with a brand new, state-of-the-art hospital building which will house the majority of St Helier's wards and clinics. Depicted as darker blue in the picture, the 20,000 m² seven-storey building will include 348 beds, with more than 50 per cent being in single rooms.
In addition, a new day 1,000 m² nursery will be built (shown as light blue), where the children of staff are looked after. A decked car park will also be built (shown as white), making it easier for patients, visitors and staff to park on the site. Importantly, millions of pounds will also be spent upgrading the remainder of the hospital site, including those wards which are not moving into the new building.
Peter Coles, interim Chief Executive, said: "Although this is a very early designer's impression, it clearly shows the size and scale of our plans for redeveloping St Helier Hospital.
"The redevelopment will radically change the environment in which our patients are treated, especially as more than 50 per cent of the inpatient beds will be in single rooms."
The St Helier Hospital redevelopment forms part of the Better Healthcare Closer to Home initiative, which is a partnership between the Trust and Sutton and Merton Primary Care Trust (PCT). As part of the initiative, the PCT will be building four local care centres, which will provide a range of services including diagnostic tests, e.g. blood testing and x-rays, and outpatient services.
One of these centres will be built on the St Helier Hospital site and can be seen at the front of the new main building (the three-storey building (in darker blue)). The cost of this local care centre is £17 million.
The plans to redevelop the hospital were brought a step closer on 30 June when the Trust's strategic health authority, NHS London, approved the outline business case for the Better Healthcare Closer to Home initiative. The plans have since been submitted to the Department of Health for final approval.
The Trust hopes to be given the go ahead to develop a full business case (FBC) later this year, with building work due to start in 2012.
