Isle of Wight St Mary's Hospital improvement plans submitted

Isle of Wight NHS Trust has received a good rating by inspectors and been taken out of special measures

A dedicated children's wing and new 18-bed surgical ward are set to be created as part of proposals to improve a hospital.

The Isle of Wight NHS Trust is proposing three extensions and other lay-out changes for St Mary's Hospital in Newport.

The projects are part of the trust's £25.5m estate improvement strategy.

The trust was rated inadequate by inspectors between 2017 and 2019 but received a good rating last year.

In plans submitted to the Isle of Wight Council, agents on behalf of the trust, Stride Treglown, said the works would deliver improvements to the healthcare service and provision on the island, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

In three projects, the intensive care unit (ICU), fracture clinic, urgent treatment centre (UTC) and emergency department would all be upgraded.

The proposals include an extension of the intensive care unit

The currently cramped ICU would be extended to hold four larger bed spaces in separate rooms.

The work would also see A&E adult and children patient flows separated, with a dedicated children's wing and paediatric ambulance drop-off.

An 18-bed surgical acute ward would also be created through a reconfiguration of the pathology area.

Some windows would be blocked up and moved, along with new ones added, to ensure every bedroom has access to natural light.

The projects are part of the trust's £25.5m estate improvement strategy - part of the £48m awarded to it in 2019 by government.

It is hoped the projects, as well as the mental health hub on Newport High Street, would be completed by March 2024.