Major Expansion of Lydney Outpatients accommodation opens

24/02/2010

A major extension to the existing outpatients department at Lydney and District Hospital is set to open this week.

NHS Gloucestershire and Forest of Dean GPs have been working closely with the Friends of Lydney and District Hospital to take forward the expansion to the hospital using modular units.

The extension to the existing outpatients department means that more services can be provided in the Forest of Dean, reducing the need for many patients to have to travel to hospitals in Gloucester and Cheltenham for their treatment.

The extension at Lydney provides an extra five consulting rooms and a treatment room as a well as providing better staff facilities.

New services include a musculo-skeletal assessment, diagnosis and treatment service (orthopaedics).

The Friends of Lydney and District Hospital have donated £200,000 towards the project and the remaining costs (a further £200,000) have been met by NHS Gloucestershire.

Chief Executive of NHS Gloucestershire, Jan Stubbings said:

“The opening of this extension is a major boost to the hospital and reinforces our commitment to extend the range of services that are provided to patients closer to where they live.”

“We want to make sure that our local community hospitals continue to have a key role to play in providing highly valued services to local people.”

“We would like to thank the Friends of Lydney and District Hospital for their unwavering commitment to this project and their generous funding support.”

Chairman of the Friends of Lydney and District Hospital, Melville Watts OBE said:

“The hospital, and its staff, has a proud tradition in providing first rate health services in a caring, supportive and professional environment and we are so pleased that this extension means even more patients will now benefit from this experience. We are pleased to be working cooperatively with NHS Gloucestershire.”

Chair of the Forest of Dean Commissioning Cluster and local GP, Dr Martin Gibbs said:

“This is wonderful news for local patients. There is a real desire to work in partnership to make services accessible and community based wherever possible and our two local community hospitals are key to achieving this vision. Much has been done to expand the range of outpatient services available to local patients during the last year and we will continue to look at how services can be provided closer to home.”