Medway Maritime Hospital has opened Ruby Ward, its new cardiorespiratory ward.
Ruby Ward will provide more than 30 new beds and state-of-the-art facilities for patients with serious breathing or heart conditions.
Additionally, Ruby Ward includes a seven-bed Respiratory Support Unit (RSU), which provides a higher level of monitoring for the sickest patients.
Medway Maritime Hospital has opened Ruby Ward, its new cardiorespiratory ward
The £5m project, funded by NHS England, has transformed Ruby Ward from a vacant space previously used by mental health providers to a purpose-built area with improved infection prevention measures and a greatly enhanced environment for staff, patients, and visitors.
The opening marks the first phase of a longer-term development of a Cardio Respiratory Village, which will encompass a new cardiac catheterisation laboratory and better location of services – a priority under the Trust’s Patient First improvement programme and Clinical Strategy.
Jayne Black, Medway NHS Foundation Trust Chief Executive, said: “This is a really significant development for our hospital, which is set to benefit the community in Medway and Swale for years to come.”
The £5m project, funded by NHS England, has transformed Ruby Ward from a vacant space
“We hope the new ward will play a role in improving our services, with the availability of more beds helping to treat patients sooner. It will also stand us in a better position to deal with any further pandemic outbreaks,” Black added.
“I want to give a special mention to our colleagues and contractors involved in this project – thanks to their hard work and dedication over the last four months, we have been able to open the ward in record time,” Black concluded.