Development and expansion of Great Western Hospital
Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust expansion programme
Over the coming years, a number of projects will get underway to develop and expand the Great Western Hospital (GWH) to meet the needs of Swindon's growing and ageing population.
The Way Forward Programme, led by GWH, focuses on key projects that, instead of simply creating a bigger version of what we have today, will be part of a more integrated, streamlined and efficient health care system for all of us.
Full details of the GWH’s Way Forward Programme can be found on the GWH website.
A summary of the four key projects in the Way Forward Programme is detailed below. Many of the improvements will be funded through £30 million of central government funding which has already been secured by GWH.
Land purchase
In 2020, the GWH successfully purchased 5.5 hectares of land adjacent to the hospital site. The development priorities for this land are: a rehabilitation facility, a medical equipment sterilisation facility and a private healthcare facility.
Expansion and co-location of urgent and emergency care services
Plans are in place to expand the Emergency Department at the hospital, and re-locate other ‘front door’ services to create a more-joined up department. This work will be completed by 2024.
On top of the original £30m funding, the GWH also successfully bid for £15 million of additional government funding to demolish and replace the Urgent Care Centre, with a larger, permanent Urgent Treatment Centre. The new Urgent Treatment Centre is set to open in spring 2022.
Rehabilitation facility
Plans are underway to create a dedicated centre for providing rehabilitation for patients who require additional support in managing a long-term condition or following hospital treatment. The GWH is currently working to unlock funding for this facility.
Private healthcare
There is ambition for the GWH to build a stand-alone private healthcare facility. GWH private services will be re-located to this new facility, freeing up space and 20 acute beds in the main hospital.
The independent unit will generate income for GWH and will be commercially funded.
Radiotherapy Centre
Alongside the Way Forward Programme, work has commenced to build a Radiotherapy Centre at the GWH. The Centre will be an expansion of Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust's radiotherapy service.
The Radiotherapy Centre is due to be completed in early 2022 and was made possible through £2.9 million of charity funding, which is being used to purchase equipment for the Centre.