Critical Care Complex (Theatres, Critical Care, Laboratories and Sterile Services)

Design of the Hospital’s new Critical Care Block is complete and construction commenced in April 2007. The new building will be located at the rear of the site and adjacent to the new terraced car park.

A sod-cutting ceremony by the previous Chairman of Trust Board, Siubhan Grant, took place on 15^th March 2007.

Taking approximately three years to complete this purpose built accommodation will be fully designed to modern day clinical and building standards offering state of the art facilities on all four floors comprising:

Central Sterile Supply Department (CSSD)

The CSSD process ensures that surgical instrument packs and other items/equipment are sterile for use in Theatres, Out-patient Departments, General Practitioner Surgeries etc. This Department will be equipped with 7 sterilizers (increasing to 9 after 7 years) and 14 washer disinfectors (increasing to 21 after 7 years). The new facility will be equipped to meet the latest DHSSPS and Medical Devices standards with room for expansion to cope with an expected increase in demand over the years ahead.

Theatres and Critical Care

Theatres will have 7 Theatre Suites; a Self Contained Endoscopy Suite and 14 Recovery Beds while Critical Care will have 16 beds of which 8 will be single rooms.

Built to high specification benefits will include increased space, designed to improve the smooth flow of patients through the Department, and an improved working environment for staff with control of Infection issues given high priority.

Throughout the design process it was very much appreciated that both patients and their relatives may understandably be rather anxious and apprehensive when surgery is planned or intensive care is required. One of the Design Team’s main aims was to provide as pleasing an environment as possible with the needs of patients and their relatives being the most important concern.

Laboratories

The Laboratory Division will continue to offer Haematology and Blood Transfusion; Clinical Chemistry and Microbiology Laboratory services to assist in the treatment of Trust patients and those of local General Practitioners.

The new facilities will be built to modern day standards allowing for future flexibility of use as services change in the years ahead. An easily accessed dedicated specimen reception area will minimize the need for non-laboratory staff to enter the laboratory clinical areas.