24 November 2009
The day surgery unit at Queen Mary's Hospital for Children - where children have minor operations like having their tonsils out or hernias repaired- has undergone a major £300,000 refurbishment.
The unit, which is based at St Helier Hospital, has gone through a complete makeover, including new flooring, decorated walls and the installation of a custom-built reception area.
Sister on the unit, Marie Brown said: "The changes are fantastic - the whole unit has been modernised. The feel of the department has completely changed - we've now got a beautiful open space, which is great for our patients, their parents and staff.
"The new reception area is the biggest change - it's the hub of the department and everyone's really pleased with it. The feedback we've had from patients and their families has been really positive too."
The day surgery unit, which sees and treats approximately 1,500 children a year, was moved to another ward in St Helier Hospital while the refurbishment work took place. Marie said: "The builders stuck exactly to the timescale of three months which is great. We moved back into the department over the weekend and after putting the final touches into place, we were ready to start operating again on Thursday (12 November)."
The refurbishment of the children's day surgery unit is just one of a number of major improvement projects underway at the Trust at the moment, with more than £9 million being spent this year alone. Other projects include a £2.8 million upgrade of the maternity unit at St Helier and a £600,000 revamp of Alex ward at Epsom. £100,000 has also been spent on brand new mattresses and beds.
