Today, 21 September 2022, the new state-of-the-art £12.5m Endoscopy Unit was officially opened to patients at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital by Caroline Shaw, CBE, Chief Executive.
Using digital design and new innovations and technology to improve patient care and experience, the new facility is a ‘digital’ flagship for QEH and has set the precedent for what a new Queen Elizabeth Hospital could look like as the Trust continues to do all it can to secure the funding to build a new hospital. Examples of how patient care and experience will be improved include:
- Digital interactive information screens – Bespoke Endoscopy information screens located in waiting rooms will allow patients to download information to their mobile phones providing access to handy details about the facility and their procedure
- Smart touch screens in nurse bay areas are providing improved communication and share patient and room information
- Smart room sensors capture information impacting patient experience, for example light and temperature levels, and are also providing information on how frequently a room is used to communicate its weekly, monthly and annual utilisation
- Live rooms – a signage and booking system allowing staff to immediately see the status of a room and quickly locate a suitable available room
Caroline Shaw, CBE, Chief Executive said: “I am thrilled to have opened this new state-of-the-art facility. It provides a much-improved experienced for patients and staff and is a significant development for QEH in modernising our hospital and helping to achieve our ambition of being the best rural District General Hospital for patient and staff experience.”
Dr Shailesh Karanth, Gastroenterologist Consultant said: “This new unit is fantastic news for our patients and staff. It modernises our facilities and will enable all endoscopies (a procedure where organs inside your body are looked at using a long, usually flexible tube with a lens on one end and a video camera on the other) to take place in one unit.”
The state-of-the-art Endoscopy Unit is part of a £38m capital programme being delivered by QEH in 2021/2022 as the hospital significantly modernises its facilities, further improving the experience of patients, their families and staff. Other projects include a new Outpatient Unit called The Emerson Unit which opened in January 2022, The West Norfolk Eye Centre which opened in May 2022, a brand new maternity unit which opened in June 2022 and a brand new dementia-friendly ward which opened in July 2022.
The new Endoscopy Unit also creates the decant space needed for the work continuing to install failsafe roof supports in the main theatres, as the Trust continues to maximise the safety of the current hospital.
Ends
For further information, please contact Communications Team, media.enquiries@qehkl.nhs.uk or 01553 613216.
Notes for editors
- A three-year rolling failsafe programme has started across the first floor of the hospital as work continues to maximise the safety of the buildings
- The current hospital has reached end of life (national experts say the current hospital has a 2030 end of life deadline) due to being built from Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC)
- QEH are continuing to do all they can to secure the funding to bring a new hospital to King’s Lynn and West Norfolk. If successful, the earliest a new hospital is expected to open its doors is 2029 due to the necessary planning and approvals process and the building work. It is therefore crucial investment in the hospital continues during this time to make sure patients, their families and staff are provided with the best care and experience possible
- The Endoscopy Unit is in keeping with the Trust’s future site plans and new hospital schemes (meaning the unit is here to stay when a new hospital is secured)
To download the press pack and photos, click here.
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