Two new wards opened at hospital in city

A photo of the openingImage source, Plymouth University Hospitals Trust
Image caption,

The new wards were opened on Friday at Mount Gould Hospital in Plymouth

At a glance

  • Two new wards - called Saltram and Lopes - were opened at Mount Gould Hospital in Plymouth on Friday

  • They provide support for people who are medically fit but have complex needs

  • The patients will be able to regain their "independence" before returning home

  • Published

Two new wards have officially opened at Mount Gould Hospital in Plymouth.

The wards form part of the new discharge assessment unit, for medically fit patients from Derriford Hospital who have complex needs.

Patients will be supported at the wards, named Saltram and Lopes, with recovery before returning home.

The opening was made possible with £5m funding received from NHS England.

The unit has capacity for 40 beds, and is made up of a team of staff from University Hospitals Plymouth Trust (UHPT) and Livewell.

Jo Beer, chief operating officer at UHPT, said: “This now means we can give every patient the opportunity to return to independence following a period of acute ill health and hospitalisation, as well as promote home as the preferred discharge destination."

The new unit releases bed capacity at Derriford Hospital to "provide space for care and treatment for patients waiting for elective and urgent care", Ms Beer added.

Michelle Thomas, chief executive of Livewell south west, said: “These new wards symbolise an important commitment to supporting patient reablement and will complement our existing out-of-hospital pathways in the city."

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