Anybody who has been an inpatient at a hospital, will be all too aware of the need for privacy whilst recovering from an illness or operation.
We hear from the Isle of Wight NHS team today that a new programme of work is underway to increase the single sex accommodation for patients on the Isle of Wight, ensuring better privacy and dignity.
They tell us that the Department of Health have coughed up (excuse the pun) a whopping £605,000 for the Isle of Wight NHS, as part of the £6.8 million investment by the NHS to provide single sex accommodation in hospitals across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Hampshire.
We understand that the money will go towards building works at St. Mary’s Hospital as well as at Woodlands in Wootton and Shackleton in Ryde.
Carol Alstrom, Chief Nurse and Director of Infection Prevention and Control said: “Ensuring the privacy and dignity of our patients is respected at all times is a key priority for us. We have made considerable progress on improving privacy and dignity arrangements for patients at both at St. Mary’s Hospital and other healthcare facilities over recent years. This additional funding from the Department of Health will enable us to make further improvements.”
The sort of things that will be overhauled are changes to washing facilities in some ward areas and creation of single occupancy rooms and modifications made to entrances and exits to increase patient privacy.
It’s thought the work will start next month and is hoped to be complete by the summer.
The lucky wards below have been earmarked for the improvement works:
Luccombe & Alverstone Wards
St Helens & Whippingham Wards
Appley & Colwell Wards
Children’s Ward
MAAU
Woodlands
Shackleton
Stroke Unit
Coronary Care Unit
Image: Auntie P
