First glimpse of three major developments going up this year at Northampton General Hospital

Here is a first glimpse at what is going on behind the building site boards at Northampton General Hospital.

Three major developments aimed at improving patient care and visitor experience are all due to open during 2021 — including a new £15.9million critical and intensive care unit and a £2.9m children's emergency department.

The extension to the main Emergency Department building will include waiting areas and treatment rooms dedicated to children as well as staff breakout spaces.

Kerry Marriott, a Paediatric Sister at the NGH Emergency Department, said: "This is something to look forward to and a morale boost for all staff after such a difficult year.

‘We are expanding to 11 rooms and four waiting areas, which includes a dedicated injuries assessment space, a safe area for patients presenting in mental health crisis, a high dependency bed and separate waiting area for adolescents."

The 16-bed critical care unit — including an eight-bedded Level 1 facility — is likely to be the third development completed later this year and will provide extra capacity and improved facilities for patients needing specialist intensive care.

The new unit will be next to the new entrance building and will add much needed capacity to the ICU capability at NGH.

Dr Jonny Wilkinson, the hospital's ICU Clinical Lead Physician, said: “There has been an extensive and painstaking amount of collaborative work to get this project right.

"All of this has continued relentlessly, despite the pressures the Covid pandemic has placed on our hospital and its staff.

“The sickest patients in NGH deserve the best possible care and this new facility will provide this, as well as offering a state-of-the-art environment for our visitors and staff."

The main road through the hospital was blocked off for a weekend earlier this month while a giant crane dropped in the first shells of buildings which will eventually become part of the main new entrance.

Hospital chiefs have worked closely with Catfoss, a modular construction market leader, while developers Noviniti were appointed to deliver the fully-funded new main entrance in partnership with Compass Group — who were awarded the contract for the retail and catering units.

Catfoss MD, Ben Foreman, said: “This is a prime example of how modern methods of construction can be integrated with existing infrastructure to rapidly deliver fully compliant permanent space and we look forward to handing over this facility to the hospital before the end of spring.”

The new space, at the site’s south entrance near to the main car park, will feature Marks and Spencer Simply Food, Costa Coffee, Stock Shop and Subway outlets.