New Surgical Ward and Assessment Unit at Scarborough Hospital is officially opened  

Scarborough Hospital’s brand new surgical ward – Lilac Ward – was officially opened today (Friday 27 March). The ward was opened by Alan Rose, Trust Chairman, on his last day as Chair of the Trust Board.  

The official opening event was held before the ward undergoes a programme of deep-cleaning, ready to open its doors to its first patients on 13 April.

The ward, which is located on top of Maple Ward, has 31 beds. There are 15 single rooms and four, four bed bays.  The ward also features a Surgical Assessment Unit, which will help streamline the patient pathway for patients requiring surgery, meaning care for surgical patients is greatly improved.

Lilac Ward is the first ward nationally to have been built using a design solution called the repeatable room design.   

Alan Rose, Chairman of the Trust Board, said: "Lilac Ward represents the finest piece of real estate across all of our sites.

“It will be a wonderful new facility for surgical patients at Scarborough Hospital and represents a great example of reaping specific benefits from combining the strengths of Scarborough and York. I would like to thank everyone who has helped make this happen."

The ward will open as a surgical facility allowing Haldane ward, one of the hospital’s oldest wards, to close.

Andrew Bennett, Head of Capital Projects, explained: “The Ward utilises an evidence-based, best practice design solution called the repeatable rooms and standardised components initiative.

“The design of the four-bed bays makes efficient use of space whilst maximising the distance between bed heads, which is an important factor in infection prevention.  The 'nested' design of the single rooms with en suite facilities also makes best use of available space.

“The design of Lilac Ward is also intended to maximise not only the visibility of external landscaping to patients but also the visibility of patients to nursing staff.

“Each of the four-bed bays also has space for a nurse or a doctor to record patient data from tests and observations without having to relocate to a separate office or nurse station. This will help to improve communication and dialogue between patients and staff.” 

Carol Carrington, Sister on Haldane Ward, said: “Staff are thrilled to be moving into their new home on Lilac Ward. 

“The ward is very bright, spacious and has lots of single rooms all with en-suite bathrooms. The bays are also very spacious and have a nice outlook.

“We are very fond of our Nightingale ward but the improvement for the patient is paramount. We can’t wait to care for our patients in our new ward.”

Following the official opening event hospital staff were invited to take a tour of the ward.

Work began on the ward on 28 April 2014. One of the biggest challenges for the construction was to build a new floor on top of an existing structure and to tie in the steel frame for the new ward with the existing steel framework.

Although the foundations of Maple Ward had been designed and built to cope with another storey being built on top, structural survey work was undertaken to ensure that the frame for the new ward and all of the building services, such as drainage, could be tied into the existing services.

Another challenge was the relocation of Maple Ward patients and staff whilst the frame, flooring and roof were constructed. The hospital’s escalation ward Graham Ward was used to relocate Maple Ward patients and staff whilst this work took place, during which time Maple Ward underwent a light touch refurbishment.

Lilac Ward Facts

• Lilac Ward is the first ward nationally to have been built using a design solution called the repeatable room design  
• The sea is visible from many of the beds
• Robots were used to lay the roof of the ward
• The ward layout is rectangular. There are two nurse stations one located at either end of the ward. Bays and rooms are located around the outside with facilities such as store rooms and dirty linen located in the centre of the ward. These can be accessed by both sides minimising the distance staff need to walk.  

27 March 2015