8:30am Wednesday 31st May 2006
By Steve Sowden
A BRAND new Kingston Wing is to be unveiled at Yeovil Dis-trict Hospital next month.
The popular facility for private patients is moving to Level 4 to make way for the hospital's £7-million expansion in critical care providing new high dependency and intensive treatment units due to open at the end of the year on Level 5.
The new Kingston Wing will be 40 per cent bigger, with 14 single rooms, plus two consulting rooms to double the outpatient capacity.
The biggest difference for patients being treated privately at Yeovil Hospital is that they receive only consultant-level care, from the expert of their choice, in a private room with en suite facilities and a select menu.
Up to 30 per cent of patients using the Kingston Wing pay their own way, without health insurance.
The Kingston Wing first opened 15 years ago, offering patients exclusive access to their chosen consultant in an upmarket setting, with the reassurance of having all the emergency resources of the NHS on hand.
Its single room facilities are also used for the benefit of NHS patients when needed.
Offering private healthcare at Yeovil Hospital helps recruit and retain top staff, and the income generated is ploughed into general Trust funds.
Anne Bishop, who has managed the unit for the past two years, said: "We deal with exactly the same case mix as the rest of the hospital, including emergencies, and the unit is always extremely busy.
"Occupancy levels are high and we are often dealing with NHS patients with complex needs, who come to us for specialist nursing or isolation.
"Staff do like working here, borne out by the fact that some have been here since the unit first opened."
Feedback from patients shows that what they appreciate most is not the hotel-style environment but the efforts of staff in caring for them.
The new Kingston Wing, which opens in June, will have a designated outpatient and waiting area, with doors through to the inpatient area. All 14 rooms will be ensuite, two of which have glass frontages to allow improved monitoring of the more dependent patients.
New private outpatient facilities will provide much-needed facilities where staff can offer pre and post-op checks.
Anne added: "This is a landmark occasion for the whole Trust, as we unveil a facility that everyone can be proud of.
"The new Kingston Wing reinforces Yeovil Hospital's reputation for leading the way in patient care, both for private and NHS patients."
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