“This has been a multi-million pound investment, we’ve had NHS England support for which we’re very grateful,” said Ned Hobbs, the chief operating officer at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals NHS Trust (SaTH).
He added that the former colorectal ward will be repurposed for general medical patients, which will create “more inpatient capacity in total on the site”.
Ultimately, he said, it will “enable us to admit patients in a more timely fashion from the emergency department,” meaning patients arriving by ambulance can be received.
Mr Hobbs added that the new wards are “much more comfortable” with increased natural light and space.
“It creates a sense of calm, so it’s a more therapeutic recovery environment – and those benefits support our staff as well.”