The main entrance has been developed with the purpose of improving the dignity and comfort of patient transfers across the hospital.
The opening completes the project’s first phase, which includes a new reception desk, a security office, a CCTV monitoring station and a car park office. A new Costa Coffee, a WH Smith with a Marks & Spencer counter and a Stock Shop clothing store have also opened. Self-service check-in kiosks for outpatients will be operational soon in the new modular construction.
A new Changing Places toilet and patient information hub will open at the end of June in the second phase of the development. Changing Places are enhanced disabled changing facilities that contain equipment to help people with limited mobility to use the toilet comfortably or get changed privately.
This will replace the current Costa Coffee unit in the dome area of the hospital and the café’s seating area will be repurposed into a new patient experience centre.
“I just wanted to say thank you to all our partners, staff and the public for making this happen,” said Mark Orchard, Director of Finance.
“The new facility looks fantastic and it will be a modern and spacious centre that will welcome visitors to the hospital and improve the dignity and efficiency of patient transfers.”
The Main Entrance is part of a radical overhaul of the hospital site. It was developed with no capital investment from the trust and was financed entirely by commercial partners.
It has been constructed in unison with new wayfinding measures. These are currently being implemented and will improve the flow of visitors around the hospital and make departments and appointments easier to find. Modular building firm Catfoss and canopy specialist Fordingbridge provided key elements of the project.
The hospital is organising an official opening ceremony of the Main Entrance for September.