James Paget University Hospital opens £15m 'concept ward'

Dame Ruth May cuts the ribbon to the "concept ward" with digital health project nurse Isaac Kuruvilla

A £15m ward has been opened to show what inpatient healthcare could look like at a new hospital in Norfolk.

NHS chief nursing officer for England, Dame Ruth May, cut the ribbon for the "concept ward" at James Paget University Hospital.

The hospital in Gorleston-on-Sea is due to be replaced with a new site by 2030, as part of a national project.

Hospital chief nurse Paul Morris said the ward would help the team "future proof" hospital buildings.

"When we were given the funding to create the ward, we saw that we had a golden opportunity to create something really innovative," he said.

"We will build a rich picture from [patient and staff] experiences, to help inform ward design in our new hospital."

Patient governor Sheena McBain, pictured with hospital lead governor Ian Clayton, praised the new ward

The ward, which took eight months to build and was unveiled on Thursday, includes 20 single en-suite bedrooms and two four-bed bays.

There is a patient day room and garden area as well as a staff rest room, kitchen and changing facilities.

It was designed to allow plenty of daylight and extra space to accommodate temporary beds for patients' relatives.

The ward has a lifespan of 50 years and will sit alongside the proposed new health campus site, the hospital said.

The ward was designed to allow more space for patients, relatives and staff

Patient governor Sheena McBain, who received treatment on the ward, said: "This is a game changer, it's a lovely, lovely place."

The Department of Health and Social Care has promised to rebuild 40 hospitals by 2030 because of deteriorating infrastructure, including James Paget and Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn.