Gastroenterology patients are being treated in 5-star facilities after a £1million hospital ward transformation.
Staff and patients have returned to Dixon Ward at Lincoln County Hospital following a comprehensive seven-month refurbishment. This saw the 28 bed gastroenterology ward gutted and rebuilt into a 20 bed ward, with the addition of the Saxon Suite day unit to help treat patients without the need to be admitted for overnight stays.
All of the work has been undertaken during what has been an unprecedented time for the NHS during the COVID-19 pandemic. It includes dedicated areas for staff to put on their personal protective equipment, making sure they are following all of the new infection prevention control guidance to be able to provide safe care for patients today and in the future.
Some of the staff with Ward Sister, Cheryl Butler (front left), and Matron, Donna Gibbins (front right), in one of the new bays on the ward
Ward Sister, Cheryl Butler, said: “I am so proud of my team. Over the last seven months they have stuck together and supported each other while being moved to several locations around the hospital. Now, we have returned home to a ward that is simply the best for our patients and for staff too.
“It really has been a team effort to make sure that it really is perfect. Every member of the team has been involved and consulted on the changes.”
The Saxon Suite was named by Nurse Cadet, Eleanor Leslie, who researched the name Dixon as originating from the Anglo-Saxons.
Gastroenterologist, Dr Glenn Spencer, said: “This is a great new environment in which we can offer our patients the best quality care and provide our staff with the ward they deserve.”
Head of Gastroenterology, Dr Anthony Norman-Swift, added: “It is amazing to think this has all been done during the pandemic. Without the amazing collective team work from everyone involved this would never have been possible.
“Sister Butler has played a pivotal role in supporting the project and helping to pull it all together, while at the same time managing a busy COVID ward. The efforts everyone has gone to in order to make this happen cannot be overstated and our patients are the ones who will benefit most.”
The ward was officially opened by Deputy Chief Executive, Mark Brassington, shortly before the ward staff began transferring patients into the new bays and side rooms.
Chief Executive, Andrew Morgan, said: “There really has been a huge amount of work in such a reasonably short space of time to make this into a fantastic ward during the COVID-19 pandemic. It really is a credit to everyone involved, in what has been a very challenging year.”
