One of the busiest hospitals in the East of England is deploying mobile wards and theatres in a cost-effective bid to increase capacity and deal with a growing number of GP referrals.
Rather than engaging in time-consuming and expensive permanent building works, Luton and Dunstable Hospital is instead introducing mobile facilities that provide fully operational, fully kitted out medical space.
The need for the two new wards and operating facility comes as the hospital receives an increasing number of GP referrals.
Supplied by Vanguard Healthcare, the new units will run alongside the 26 wards already at the hospital, which has 500 beds and 12 other theatres.
The theatre module consists of an anaesthetic room, operating theatre, and recovery area; while each eight-bed ward has a reception, nurse station, utility areas, and changing and toilet facilities. The units also improve the hospital’s ability to provide single-sex accommodation for patients in line with government guidelines.
Ian Monaghan ofVanguard Healthcare said: “The operating theatre and two single-sex wards are located a short distance away from the permanent facilities. This means the hospital can easily maintain a high standard of patient care and ensure the efficiency, safety and compliance of its amenities. The positive response of the patients since the units were deployed in October has, I think, reflected the success of the contract to date."
