Bishop's Castle Hospital Refurbishment - Phase 1 Complete

Philip Dunne welcomes "excellent refurbishment of Stonehouse" which provides a modern community hospital in the heart of Bishop's Castle.Shropshire County Primary Care Trust has invested £750,000 in the scheme in total, which includes a first phase to develop new inpatient accommodation and a garden room extension.

When all phases are complete (with total funding at £1.3million) the project will also see the main entrance to the hospital transformed with a new improved foyer, reception area and improved disabled access. Phase two will also see the development of a much awaited palliative care suite, specially developed as a homely and peaceful place for patients nearing the end of their life, with an overnight stay room for relatives.

The completed first phase includes the new inpatient accommodation which has been developed with the input of public involvement focus groups and interior design help, to produce an environment that is welcoming and comfortable for any patients staying in the hospital. Each suite of rooms has been painted with one wall in a bold, feature colour, adding vibrancy to the rooms and hospital as a whole.

Each individual inpatient bed also has its own pull-down entertainment system and individual lighting to make every patient's stay as restful and personal as possible.

"It's a great start to the redevelopment programme, it's absolutely stunning," comments Colin McLauchlan, South West Shropshire Locality Manager for Shropshire County Primary Care Trust. "The patients now have a much more enjoyable and comfortable environment, and the hospital staff need special recognition as they have all worked very hard in providing quality care whilst the building work has been taking place around them."

The new garden room extension is light and airy, giving patients and their visitors a view of the outside, and bringing the benefits of the garden to the inside, even when the weather is less than hospitable.

Philip Dunne MP has chaired the Stonehouse Forum for the past three years, the group of local community representatives which he established to improve dialogue between the PCT and local people, and comments: "This is marvellous news for the people of Bishop's Castle and the surrounding area. We have come a long way over the past three years. This excellent refurbishment of Stonehouse provides a modern community hospital in the heart of the town and secures the future of healthcare facilities in Bishop's Castle."

Phase two of the programme is due to begin soon, and is expected to be complete by March 2010.

Photo: The 'red room' at Bishop's Castle Hospital