Frimley Park Hospital will be replaced with a state-of-the-art new hospital following the announcement that it has been included in the Government’s New Hospital Programme. National funding has been approved to build a new hospital
Neil Dardis, Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust Chief Executive, said: “I am absolutely delighted that we have got the go ahead for this once-in-a-generation opportunity to improve healthcare for the communities we serve. This much-needed new hospital will provide the modern and efficient environment our patients and staff deserve. We plan to take the opportunity of the New Hospital Programme funding to develop the best healthcare facility in the country.
“Our ambition is to provide the highest quality urgent, planned and specialised care in the most modern environment, as well as deliver first class community care. We will ensure that all these services are delivered from a hospital incorporating the very latest sustainability and environmental initiatives and cutting-edge digital technology. We are so excited to be leading this initiative that will transform the future of healthcare for people in and around Frimley.”
Frimley Health’s clinical teams and advisers have recommended that a new site should be found for the new hospital to avoid the significant disruption to patients, services and staff that would be inevitable if an attempt was made to redevelop the current site.
This would require a phased demolition and rebuild over many years on a site which is already overly congested. A range of opportunities will therefore be created for patients, staff, the local community and other stakeholders to be involved and engaged in all stages of the new hospital development.
The new hospital will enable the transformation of services for patients and the local community – it will significantly improve patient care, experience and outcomes within an ultra-modern environment for the benefit of patients, visitors and staff including:
A significantly increased proportion of single en-suite rooms and more beds in a much improved environment to better meet the needs of the local population
Improved and extended facilities that will enable more patients to be diagnosed and treated in the same visit
More state-of-the-art operating theatres to treat more patients
Smart use of the latest digital technology and IT infrastructure to greatly improve the experience of patients and staff
A host of environmental benefits including improved energy efficiency and sustainability
The latest designs and best practice for infection control
Carefully considered co-location of services within the building which will greatly improve patient and visitor movement, and group staff together to enable better clinical outcomes and team working
Exciting opportunities to increase the integration of primary and community care with hospital and secondary care across the wider Frimley Health system to better serve patients.
Frimley Park Hospital needs to be replaced because the concrete it was built with in the 1970s has been found to be susceptible to deterioration over time. The trust has an extensive, but costly, surveillance and safety maintenance regime in place to ensure safety and minimise risk.
The Trust’s new hospital bid was supported by Frimley Health and Care Integrated Care System whose Chief Executive, Fiona Edwards, said: “Replacing Frimley Park Hospital, with its deteriorating concrete, is a key priority for our integrated care board and will help support our ambitions to create healthier communities. I look forward to working with the Trust to maximise the wider opportunities to increase the integration of secondary, primary and community care, in particular through therapeutic and rehabilitation services, so we can also deliver more care closer to home, see faster patient recovery and therefore earlier patient discharge.”
Neil Dardis added: “These are exciting times for our teams and everyone in our local community and we look forward to engaging with our patients, staff and all our stakeholders as we develop our plans for the Frimley Park Hospital of the future.”