Work has begun to build a new £3million critical care unit to treat the "sickest patients" coming through the doors at South Tyneside District Hospital.
The new unit will have six beds and house "state-of-the-art" facilities including "smart glass" and mirror a similar unit at Sunderland Royal Hospital. The "smart glass" means staff can switch glass between opaque - for privacy - and clear at the push of a button.,
It will be on the ground floor of the hospital's Ingham Wing and far bigger than the ageing facilities previously in place. Work should be complete by the end of this year, bosses at the South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Trust said. It will also feature a brand new "family room" as part of an improved experience for visitors - and there will also be a staff changing room.
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Helen Turnbull, the South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Trust's Divisional Director for Theatres and Critical Care, said: "This new unit will make a real difference to our critical care patients at South Tyneside Hospital and also make it a much better, brighter and more modern place for our staff to work in and for our patients' loved ones to visit.
"The department will be in line with what we already have at Sunderland, with the same equipment and layout. This will help staff working across both sites and create a much better environment for us to look after some of our sickest patients and support their loved ones with dignity."
She added that the development would "futureproof" the hospital's facilities. David Thompson, of construction contractor Tolent, added the firm was thrilled to be part of the project and bring about "positive change to NHS services in the region".
The South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Trust has been working on a range of building projects at the over the past year - with work continuing on a £10 million "Integrated Diagnostic Centre" - and a new endoscopy unit and pharmacy having recently opened, too.
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