£4.5 million transformation creates community ward at Gainsborough hospital

Staff are getting ready to care for patients on the new £4.5 million Scotter Ward at John Coupland Hospital in Gainsborough.

Building works started last year to transform the former Morton Suite on the site into a state-of-the-art ward. Over the coming weeks, staff will relocate from their first floor ward at the hospital and start to care for patients in the new area which is on the ground floor.

The ward is run by the community services of the Lincolnshire Community and Hospitals NHS Group and will continue to care for patients who need time-limited inpatient care or rehabilitation.

Patients are often transferred to Scotter Ward after a stay at a larger hospital, where they might be ready to be discharged but not well enough to return home.

The ward also plays a vital role in preventing patients from having to be admitted to one of the county’s larger hospitals by offering community hospital care. In addition, some patients are admitted to Scotter Ward because they have been seen in an A&E or an Urgent Treatment Centre and the community ward is better suited for their needs.

The new ward has 17 beds, including three new four-bedded bedrooms and five single bedrooms. This includes one larger palliative care suite and four dedicated stroke care pathway beds.

Special attention has been paid to the colour, lighting and design to create a more relaxing and stimulating place for people with dementia.

Each bay has its own pastel colour scheme, making it easier for people to identify where they are. A decision was also made to not have a nursing station in the middle of the ward and instead replace it with a desk in every bay, each with a nurse. All of these details have helped to create a much more welcoming and homely environment, that feels less clinical.

The ward also has a day room which can be used for therapy or visiting, a larger medication and treatment room and improved storage areas.

The amazing team will have access to improved staff areas and office spaces designed so that the whole nursing, medical, support and therapy team can work together from one location.

Scotter Ward Clinical Team Lead, Donna Phillips, said: “This is such a proud day for me and everyone who cares for patients on our ward. It is wonderful to see all of the detailed planning, hard work and discussions come to fruition. This building has been co-designed with staff and patients alike, from the layout to the décor, ensuring that it really does meet the needs of the patients and staff on Scotter Ward.”

Paul Jones, Regional Capital Projects Lead (Midlands) at NHS Property Services, which owns and manages the building, said: “We were really pleased to be able to welcome everyone on site and share this amazing new ward for our patients and staff at John Coupland Hospital in Gainsborough.”

Matthew Turner, Lindum Group Construction Manager, said: “It’s great to see this project completed. It will be a real asset to the people of Gainsborough and the surrounding area.

“It’s been an interesting scheme to deliver as it’s within the grounds of a live hospital, with staff and patients moving around nearby. Our site manager was in daily contact with the facilities team at John Coupland and detailed logistics planning was vital to keep everyone safe during construction.

“Our team worked closely with NHS representatives to adapt the plan and programme to meet the specific needs of the hospital and the work has been delivered with the support of local subcontractors and suppliers too.”