New hospital with 'modern facilities' opens

The Forest of Dean Community Hospital opened on Tuesday in the Steam Mills area of Cinderford

A new hospital with "modern facilities" is now fully available to the public following a gradual opening.

The Forest of Dean Community Hospital in Cinderford officially opened on Tuesday, offering 24 beds in "modern facilities".

The Steam Mills hospital replaces the now-closed Dilke Memorial Hospital and Lydney and District Hospital.

Kate Harper, matron of the hospital, said she and the team are "very pleased" to get in after "a long process".

Matron Kate Harper said the new hospital provides a "quieter environment"

All rooms at the new hospital are en-suite to give patients "more privacy and dignity", Ms Harper said.

It also has piped oxygen, which the two other hospitals did not have.

"They were beautiful old buildings but they did not have their basic functions," Ms Harper added.

"I'm really enjoying it.

"We're all very excited... it's been quite a long process but we're all really pleased to be in and have all the facilities that we can offer the patients and give optimum care."

Some of the services offered by the hospital include a specialised dental service, phototherapy for skin conditions, a complex leg wound service, and a minor injuries unit.

Julie Mackie, head of partnerships at Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust, explained the importance of a colour-coding system in operation across the ward.

"It helps people, particularly those with dementia, as a visual cue to let them know they're in the right area," Ms Mackie said.

Julie Mackie said there are pictures of the surrounding area in the bedrooms for patients to enjoy

Patient Olwen Belcher said the new hospital is "lovely".

"You couldn't get better attention when you press your button," Ms Belcher said.

"I don't mind staying here because you've got your own room."

Ms Belcher believes she "couldn't compare" the new hospital to the Dilke or Lydney hospital.

Patient Olwen Belcher said being at the hospital was like staying in a "hotel"

The decision to have 24 beds at the hospital was taken by the NHS' commissioning team, Ms Harper said.

On Tuesday, the hospital was full after the first patients were welcomed earlier this month.

"Bed numbers for the hospital were modelled in order to provide a bed capacity that aligns to the needs of the local population of the Forest of Dean," a spokesperson for Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust said.