Posts

Berwick Hospital development

Update on new Berwick Hospital

Temporary changes to inpatient care at Berwick Hospital as building work progresses

The building of the new £35 million hospital in Berwick-upon-Tweed is now at a stage where changes to inpatient care are needed to ensure that the new hospital will open on schedule towards the end of 2024.

A new temporary 10-bed inpatient ward will be installed in the maternity car park while the hospital works continue. This is necessary to ensure that patients can remain on the hospital site in Berwick rather than be cared for elsewhere in Northumberland.

Some patients that would usually be admitted to Berwick Infirmary will be cared for in Alnwick depending on their clinical need.

Relocation of the ward will ensure the best completion date so that people from Berwick and other local communities can access the new 20-bed hospital as quickly as possible.

Maternity, oncology, ambulatory care and minor injury unit services will remain within the Berwick Infirmary building and will not be affected.

Northumbria Healthcare is working with Northumberland County Council to ensure that maternity patients have access to parking nearby.

Once the frame of the new hospital is up, stairs and floors will be installed along with an accessible rooftop. The building will be clad and glazed externally to weatherproof it and the building will be fitted out.

Finally, the remaining old hospital buildings will be demolished, the car park and access roads will be built, and landscaping work completed.

Read more about the developments at Berwick hospital

Get in touch if you would like to tell us about a health or social care service you or a loved one have used.

Berwick Hospital

Next phase for new Berwick Hospital

The next phase of work to build the new state-of-the-art £30 million hospital in Berwick is to begin.

Work to demolish parts of the old infirmary, which is part of Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, will start week commencing Monday June 21 and take around four months to complete.

Buildings that formed parts of the old infirmary, including theatres, the day ward, the reception, outbuildings and the energy centre will be demolished in a methodical and carefully managed sequence to take into consideration the archaeological work that continues on site.

Sir James Mackey, Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust’s CEO, said “It is fantastic that we are ready to begin the next phase of work to build our new hospital. This brings us one step closer to ensuring that those that live in Berwick and the surrounding areas will have access to higher quality healthcare in an environment that enables innovative and progressive care and also improves patient experience and wellbeing.

“I am extremely proud that we are finally building our new hospital in Berwick and of the significant positive impact it will have. This is not only in relation to being able to have a more integrated approach to care, but also in terms of staff recruitment and retention, improving staff experience, supporting the economy and further opportunities for collaboration and partnership working. I would like to thank everyone involved in the project for helping us to reach this very important milestone.”

Berwick Infirmary dates back nearly 150 years and the fabric of the buildings to be demolished may contain aspergillus, a mould that can affect those with underlying health conditions and a weakened immune system. This mould can cause an infection which affects the respiratory system.

Patient safety always has to be the top priority for the trust and to ensure patient safety and wellbeing it will be necessary to temporarily stop admitting patients to stay overnight at the infirmary while this demolition work is carried out.

Patients that would usually be admitted to Berwick Infirmary will be cared for at Alnwick Infirmary or in space the trust is hoping to secure at a local care home in Berwick (subject to CQC registration). Patients at the care home will be looked after by the Berwick Infirmary team. Where a patient is cared for will depend on their clinical need and the trust will provide transport if needed.

Oncology and some ambulatory care services will also need to temporarily relocate to Alnwick Infirmary for around four months. Patient transport will be provided if required.

All minor injury unit (MIU), maternity and other outpatient department services will remain at Berwick Infirmary and the MIU will remain open overnight.

Marion Dickson, executive director of nursing, midwifery and allied health professionals for Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, and project lead, said “I am thrilled that we are even closer to building our new hospital which is going to benefit our patients, staff and the local community in so many ways. We appreciate that having to temporarily relocate some of the services is not ideal, but we have worked very hard to look at options that keep these services either in or as close to Berwick as possible.

“Over the coming days and weeks, we will work closely with staff affected and we will be as flexible as we can be and also support staff as much as we can during this temporary period. The plan is that the majority of staff will continue to do their roles in Berwick. Only a small number, who already work at both Alnwick and Berwick Infirmaries, will need to spend more time working at Alnwick.

“I have been involved with this project for many years, and as a local Berwick resident I know how important having this new hospital is to people. It is hoped that the archaeological work will be completed by the end of the year and that construction work will begin in spring next year. We will of course continue to keep all of our stakeholders updated on a regular basis.”

Once this phase of demolition work is complete, services that have been temporarily relocated will move back to the Infirmary – this will include reopening the inpatient ward.

To enable the ward to be reopened and for patients to continue receiving overnight hospital care in Berwick, measures will be put in place to protect patients from noise, vibration and dust as much as possible.

These will include moving patient beds to the opposite side of the ward from where construction work will take place and installing soundproofing and ventilation.

Marion Dickson continued “Our team has worked incredibly hard to ensure that we keep as many of the services as we can in Berwick, which is a positive step. To ensure we have the space we need, we will have to temporarily reduce the number of beds on the ward to 16 until our new hospital is built and hope to be able to continue to use the relocated beds at the local care home during this time – keeping this vital hospital service in Berwick.”

David’s at the helm of new Berwick hospital

From Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust:

A project manager has been appointed to drive forward the building of the new £25million hospital in Berwick.

David Smailes will oversee all aspects of the development which is set to transform healthcare in the area and be erected on the site of the existing Berwick Infirmary. Northumberland-born and bred, David has more than 40 years’ experience in the civil engineering and construction industry and has led a number of large national projects.

Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust’s planning application is due to be decided by Northumberland County Council on Tuesday 1 December.

David, who was born in Alnwick and lives in Warkworth, said “I’m really excited to be part of the team building the new hospital in Berwick and the significance of this development for the town, the surrounding area, and the trust is clear from the short time I have been in post.

“My uncle Joseph was a barber in Berwick for many years so I feel I have a connection with the place and therefore it’s extra special to be involved in this project and spending time there once again.

“This hospital is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make a massive difference to the lives of people for generations to come and I am proud to be working with such a dedicated, experienced and knowledgeable team.”

David, 56, added “I fully appreciate the importance of working collaboratively with the local community on developments of this magnitude and I would like to reassure residents and all partners that we will keep everyone updated throughout this process.

“While it will be challenging to build a new hospital at the same time as keeping the existing one operational, every one of the team is committed to doing just that and ensuring we continue to keep our staff safe and deliver high quality care for our patients at all times.”

If given the go-ahead, the two-storey hospital will re-provide all the existing services and embrace the latest technology to improve care for patients. It will accommodate Well Close Medical Group which will pave the way for further integration between GPs and the hospital for the benefit of patients.

Executive Director Marion Dickson, who is leading the Berwick redevelopment project for the trust, said “We are delighted to have David at the helm as we reach the stage of having a dedicated project manager for our new hospital. He has vast experience in this field and, having links to the town, is aware of the background and the need to more forward as quickly as we can.

“We will continue to keep you updated and can assure you that, as soon as we are granted planning permission, we will advance to the next stage of the development by demolishing the parts of the infirmary which we have vacated, to make way for the new hospital.”

Patients with appointments at Berwick Infirmary are encouraged to attend as normal in the run-up to, and construction of, the new hospital, and during Covid-19.