Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital opens £8.6m children's theatre unit

Clinical leader Caroline Bansom (left) with young patients Henriette Johnson and Ronnie Cooper (in the car), who helped her at the ribbon-cutting ceremony

The first young patients have been welcomed at an £8.6m specialist children's theatre unit.

The new Jenny Lind Paediatrics Theatre Complex at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital includes two theatres and a recovery unit.

The hospital said child patients will now be treated at the dedicated department instead of general theatres.

Chief executive Nick Hulme described it as a "major development for paediatrics" at the hospital.

He said the unit "supports our ambition to be a leading provider of specialist paediatric care in the east".

Work began to build the new sustainable unit in 2021.

Surgical procedures, including orthopaedic operations, will be carried out five days a week initially in the new department.

Consultant team (from left) Jonathan Payne with Ravindar Anbarasan, Priya Muthukumar and paediatric theatres director Azad Mathu have welcomed the unit's first patients

First patients, Ronnie Cooper and Henriette Johnson, helped to open the complex on Tuesday by holding the ribbon for the hospital's clinical lead Caroline Banson to cut.

She said: "I am really proud of the unit, which has been created very much with our younger patients at the heart of our decision-making.

"It also provides a much better working space for our teams."

A £160,000 grant from the N&N Hospitals Charity paid for artworks by local artist Toby Rampton and storyteller Amanda Smith, as well as audio-visual equipment in the hospital for improved digital documentation, training, education and conferencing.

The hospital said the new department would also aim to use cylinders of gas and air (nitrous oxide) to avoid leaks and waste of a potent greenhouse gas, known to be associated with piped nitrous oxide.