A NEW waiting lounge has opened for people needing surgery at Ashford Hospital.
The admissions and discharge lounge has been built with funds from Ashford and St. Peter's Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust's Innovation Fund, set up by Chief Executive Andrew Liles to finance new projects proposed by staff to improve patient care.
Patients staying on Dickens Ward come into hospital for planned orthopaedic surgery, and previously there was no specific area for them to wait before their surgery.
The new lounge, which opened December 24, was the idea of Alphy Philip, Deputy Charge Nurse.
He said: "Patients coming in to hospital for planned surgery are often quite nervous and they now have a quiet, comfortable and relaxing place to wait. Patients going home also use the lounge while waiting for someone to collect them, freeing up hospital beds for other patients who need them."
Speaking at the official opening, Chief Executive Andrew Liles said: "I am delighted to open this new area for patients at Ashford Hospital.
"It gives me particularly great pleasure that this project has come to fruition as a result of an excellent idea from one of our staff, combined with resources from my Innovation Fund.
"I know that the best and most effective ideas often come directly from our staff who are working with patients every day, and therefore know best what will improve their experience in our hospitals."
