Cancer patients at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness have been moved to a refurbished ward as a £28million upgrade continues to take shape.
The hospital is receiving its biggest investment since it was built in 1980 after the project secured Scottish Government backing in March.
The contractors, Graham Construction, carried out invasive drilling surveys to test noise and vibration levels and this month Ward GC, which looks after oncology patients, moved to a newly refurbished ward on the fifth floor.
Doreen Bell, clinical advisor for the tower block upgrade, said: “Work will now start on a redesign of GC to prepare it for the move of Ward 1A, which is scheduled to happen later in the year.
“Ward 1A, which cares for our daycase patients and is also our common admission lounge, will be housed in GC for approximately 18 months allowing work to start on the first floor as we look to upgrade our critical care services.”
The upgrade will bring all critical care services near each other over two floors, including the acute medical assessment unit, the intensive care unit, surgical high dependency unit, coronary care unit, and cardiology and theatre suite.
The operating theatres at the hospital will be refurbished and an additional theatre will be added to bring the total number to 10, of which seven will be equipped with specialist laminar air flow, ensuring the cleanest possible standard.
Katherine Sutton, deputy director of operations for Raigmore Hospital, said: “Having critical care services over the two floors will not only allow best use of space and staff but it will also improve patient flow in the hospital and the privacy and dignity of our patients.
“This work and investment will not only greatly improve the facilities but also provides an opportunity to co-locate wards and ensure that first-class healthcare can be delivered in modern facilities for years to come.”