A WEEK after Royal Bournemouth Hospital revealed the plans for its state-of-the-art new block, management have been making public more details about the project.
Transformation Director, Steve Killen, said consultants and other key staff had visited hospitals all over the UK to search out best practise and hunt down good ideas, even finding inspiration from Heathrow Airport. Heathrow Airport.
Impressions of new block at RBH
Detailed plans and CGI images made public at the hospital's engagement event yesterday showed the new block, which will occupy the boomerang-shaped car-park directly opposite the main entrance and the one beside it.
The new Emergency Department, critical care, maternity, paediatric and adolescent services will occupy the building which will face Castle Lane East and will have a new entrance area with retail units and a striking, zig-zag portico.
Impressions of new block at RBH
Mr Killen said that flow; the way people arrive and then move round the hospital was one of the major elements of the thinking for the new block. "Heathrow Airport is an inspiration, when you go there you know which terminal you're going to and where you need to go and it's easy to follow the plan," he said.
These ideas had governed the thinking behind the new multi-storey car-park.
"The new multi-storey will be adjacent to the new main entrance, across a plaza, with disabled spaces on each floor, at the end nearest the hospital's entrance," he said.
Impressions of new block at RBH
People dropping off sick relatives to the new Emergency Department or Urgent Treatment Centre will have 20 short-stay spaces to use, after accessing the new Emergency Department entrance which lies parallel to Deansleigh Road, the current access route to the hospital, he said. Ambulances will have their own dedicated entrance and there'll be a separate entrance for emergency maternity cases. Other departments will be accessed via the new main entrance.
Among the hospital trusts raided for good ideas were the Royal Free in London and Wexham Park near Slough. "They have just designed a new, similar space and have shared some design cues with us," he said.
Mr Killen explained that the design details were being finalised, with attention paid to cladding, following the lessons of Grenfell.
And, he said, the work would cause minor disruption to the running of the hospital which will continue to operate throughout.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel