We all need something to cheer us up at the moment and I can think of no better Christmas present than the £17.6milllion expansion and development of Bassetlaw Hospital.
Due to commence in early 2023, when finished we will see Children’s Observation co-located with an upgraded Emergency Department. The reason this will be so important for us is that the new extension to the hospital will mean the hospital once again has the means to offer 24-hour paediatric care.
This new facility will include a children’s ward which will feature six overnight short-stay beds, eight assessment spaces and a further treatment rooms. Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust estimates that this would mean 15 or 16 children and young people could receive care in the unit at any one time.
One of the biggest challenges we have faced over the years has been staffing and that’s why I will always champion not just our hospital, but also Bassetlaw as a great place to live. I say this as a person who made the move to Bassetlaw myself and whose wife went to work there as a doctor.
Staffing challenges over the years has meant the need to transfer children to Doncaster at evenings and weekends, and this new investment means this can now be avoided in most cases. I know this is something many parents across Bassetlaw feel passionately about and this issue is also one that is deeply personal to me.
My son Alexander was born at Bassetlaw Hospital in September and the care we received was excellent. Unfortunately, he also fell ill in recent weeks and we found ourselves not only having to use Bassetlaw Hospital, but also having to make that trip to Doncaster Royal Infirmary and stay over. It’s never a nice situation to be in, let alone with a new-born baby, but I have always had faith in our medical professionals and thankfully all is now well.
If planning permission is granted, construction will begin around February/March 2023. Some of the works, are already underway as you may have noticed, including the replacement of things such as roof materials dating back to the 1970s.
I was fortunate enough to be shown around the works by developers IHP and it was a pleasure to speak to Chief Executive of Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Richard Parker OBE about this exciting development.
Finally, I want to wish you all a very merry Christmas!
