Cornwall's hospitals getting facelift (From Falmouth Packet)

Cornwall's hospitals getting facelift

3:40pm Thursday 16th July 2009

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A major programme of building works to improve facilities at the Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust is underway.

Since the beginning of the year, the Trust has been working through an intensive building programme with the objective of achieving same sex accommodation across its three main sites in Truro, Penzance and Hayle.

The programme is primarily focussed on the improvement of bathroom and toilet facilities to facilitate better segregation for men and women.

At the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro, building works have included the provision of new bathrooms on Wellington and Godolphin wards and the Short Stay Unit. In addition, minor works resulting in improved signage for male and female bathroom facilities, modesty screening and improved shower facilities have also taken place at West Cornwall Hospital in Penzance and St Michael’s Hospital in Hayle.

Sarah Roby, Planning and Projects Manager at the Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust, said: “At the Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust we are working towards ensuring the privacy and dignity of our patients and wherever possible aim to provide men and women with separate sleeping areas and dedicated bathroom and toilet facilities. The Trust will continue to strive towards this and has an ongoing plan to ensure it is achieved.”

The surgery department at West Cornwall Hospital is also currently in the middle of major alterations. The work, which began in early June, will see the creation of same sex areas, extra bathrooms added and the upgrading of the current bathrooms as well as the creation of a second day room and private interview room. The schedule will also allow for works to be carried out on other maintenance issues.

When finished, the hospital will meet new Privacy and Dignity Guidelines surrounding same sex wards and bathroom facilities. Something it has not been able to do before.

Bev Hales, Clinical Nurse Manager at West Cornwall hospital, said: “This work is a hugely positive step. From a nursing point of view there will be better facilities for patients and it will be a lovely place to work. The standards will be so much better for patients as well as staff.

“It really is major work which has to be done and will mean that we will be able to offer single sex accommodation in surgery for the first time.”

Acting RCHT Chief Executive Peter Colclough said: “The Trust has made a commitment to achieving same sex accommodation. The programme of works is about more than just the physical change but also a change in the way we manage our beds.

“We have made sure that our staff are fully behind the initiative and are committed to striving to achieve the same sex accommodation targets because they recognise what it means to patients.

“The works to improve the surgery unit at West Cornwall Hospital in particular is a positive step forward in creating a modern hospital fit for the patients of west Cornwall. It will make a huge difference to the quality of the experience patients’ have during their stay.”

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