Work has begun on an important new multi-million pound project at Sutton Coldfield’s Good Hope Hospital.  Sutton MP Andrew Mitchell and Good Hope Hospital managing director Richard Parker joined Malcolm Priest, managing director for building contractor, Greswolde and his team on site to celebrate the start of the construction.

The scheme will transform two existing wards into the new £3.2m Acute Medical Unit (AMU).

Richard Parker, Good Hope Hospital managing director, said: “The scheme will increase the size of the facility to assess and treat patients with an acute medical problem. As well as increasing the number of doctors, we are providing nurse staffing to levels recommended for an A&E department in this area, which is approximately twice the level for a general ward area.

“The development work to the Acute Medical Unit will help us to treat and discharge patients more quickly.”

The project, designed by RPS technical director Simon Houldcroft, entails stripping out two existing wards and adding linking extensions to create one new AMU facility at one end of the busy hospital.

“Most of our projects with NHS Trusts involve busy, ever changing environments and this is no different. We’ve worked with the Trust to create a design that means day to day care can still be provided to patients as well as meeting their operational needs in the future,” added Simon.

Speaking at the site visit, Andrew Mitchell commented: “I greatly welcome this further investment in Good Hope Hospital. The new Acute Medical Unit will improve and strengthen services at Good Hope for my constituents.”