WORK has been completed on a £690,000 project to expand the high dependency unit and relocate the respiratory ward at Grimsby's hospital.
The high dependency unit (HDU), which had four beds, has gained an extra three beds in an area adjacent to the existing facility and the current respiratory ward has relocated from ward C2 to ward C5.
The elderly and endocrinology ward on C5 has relocated to C1 Holles.
The development has almost doubled the number of beds in HDU, which takes surgical and medical patients who are too sick to be cared for on a general ward or from the intensive care unit (ITU) as they no longer need one-to-one care.
Relocating the respiratory ward nearer to HDU means those patients who require more intensive support have quick and easy access as respiratory patients are the highest users of the HDU and also staff from there will rotate to the respiratory ward ensuring continuity of care.
Dr Helena O'Flynn, consultant chest physician, said: "We can do so much more for people with respiratory disease than ever before. Ten years ago many people would have died, now, with advances in technology and treatments, we can successfully treat them without the serious side effects of invasive ventilation and preserve their functional ability.
"People are living independently at home with good quality of life."
Other serious medical conditions will also have greater access to more intensive nursing, and the extra beds on the HDU will improve the flow of patients from ITU, as those patients no longer needing level one intensive care can be admitted to the HDU, thus freeing up beds for more poorly patients.
