Recent guidance from the Scottish Government, that all new-build hospitals should have single-room accommodation for patients unless there are clinical reasons for multi-bedded rooms, has led to a review of the current design which included two double rooms. Two generously sized en-suite single rooms will now be included in the plan. This will provide optimum accommodation for palliative care and other patients who require additional space over and above that provided in the standard size rooms, all of which are already en suite.
Locality Manager Georgia Haire said:
“Although this means that the revised design accommodates a maximum of 22 patients rather than the original 24, the flexibility of accommodation is increased. We are still planning to have two bedrooms that can be used by both mental health and medical patients and all rooms will now be available to both men and women. Designing a hospital that provides all single room accommodation ensures that patient safety issues such as cross infection are fully addressed and that the hospital is future-proofed to meet the changing expectations of patients of the type of accommodation available to them.”
“The replacement hospital has been designed with expansion potential built in and if further beds are required in the future there is potential to achieve this.”
“The replacement of Migdale Hospital is only one aspect of the development of services for older people in Sutherland. We are conscious of the need to focus our resources on services that support patients either in or close to home and are keen to enhance the availability of a wide range of therapies that enable older people to stay at home for as long as possible.”
