The new hospital
At the heart of our proposals is a shared vision of providing improved access to better healthcare services for the community in a new fit-for-purpose local hospital on the existing Hillingdon Hospital site.
We will provide the same range of services that are currently available at the hospital, but in a high quality, purpose-built facility. In designing the new facility, we are working with our partners across the health and social care system to improve the integration of care across the borough and beyond.
Elective care
Large multi-functional treatment rooms will be provided which can be used for consultations and day case procedures for a range of specialities.
This will enable more patients to be seen as day cases which helps people to be treated more quickly and prevents unnecessary admission.
Adult inpatients
The current hospital has a mix of ward sizes and 28% of beds are single rooms. In the new hospital, in line with national guidance, we anticipate wards will have increased single room provision. This includes one isolation bed per ward. An increased number of single rooms enables improved infection prevention and the mix of wards and side rooms supports patient choice where possible.
Urgent and emergency care floor
There are many services which make up the urgent and emergency care floor including some surgery and gynaecology, a frailty unit, same day emergency care, emergency assessment, resuscitation, and acute mental health.
Services are being re-designed so that they are all on one, easily accessible floor to improve patient flows through the department. Patients will be clearly directed to the services they need and will have convenient access to all diagnostic and specialist services.
In the new building, there will be diagnostics – such as CT scans, ultrasound and plain film x-rays – located within the emergency department. This will mean faster access to diagnostics and reduce the need for patients to be sent across the hospital during their assessment. It is also beneficial for future pandemic planning as it provides a second diagnostic area within the hospital.
Maternity
In addition to a new labour ward, we are planning for a standalone midwife led unit that will operate in line with modern best practice.
The midwife-led unit will have its own identity and space but will be co-located to the labour ward to allow seamless and safe transfer of women when this is needed.
Critical care
A new, larger, critical care unit will be located alongside the respiratory ward which will include a high dependency unit. There will also be a separate medical high dependency unit area on the A&E floor. This will ensure that our sickest patients can be quickly and easily moved to ensure they are always in the best possible place to meet their needs.
Children and young people
Children and young people will have dedicated areas throughout the hospital.
The new build will see the development of separate, bespoke facilities for adolescents and younger children who need to stay in Hillingdon Hospital.
This will mean older children have a separate in-patient area to that of our younger patients, allowing an appropriate social space as well as the facilities to continue their education whilst in hospital. There will also be dedicated out-patient and day care areas.
The children's emergency department will have specially designed cubicles to treat children and young people.
Elective diagnostic imaging
In the new hospital we will have more MRI scanners and CT Scanners which will support one stop visits. It will also ensure we have adequate imaging equipment to keep up with the growth in need for access to diagnostic imaging for elective care.