One of Europe’s biggest new hospitals which will revolutionise healthcare in Greater Glasgow has opened it doors to the first patients today.
The stunning world-class new South Glasgow University Hospital (SGUH) is now ready to service the people of Glasgow and beyond and today finally saw surgical and orthopaedic patients attend their first outpatient appointments.
The new adult acute SGUH will see patients and staff move in a phased timetable with the majority of adult acute services being in place at the new hospital by the end of May. The new Royal Hospital for Sick Children will see staff and patients move in June but today the impressive new building welcomed the first outpatients.
One of the very first patients to cross the threshold of the new hospital was Linda Gordon. Linda recently had a stroke and has been attending orthopaedic as an outpatient. She has been looking forward seeing the inside of the new hospital.
She said: “I think the hospital is amazing. It is so futuristic and the space and light is brilliant.
“This is how a hospital should look.”
Robert Calderwood, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Chief Executive, said: “The new SGUH and new RHSC have been a long time in the planning and construction, and I am delighted that they are now complete and the first outpatients are being seen today.
“The completion of this Scottish Government funded project has been a major accomplishment and is testament to every single individual who has worked on this project since the blueprints were first drawn up.
“It is now all about the patients and we hope they are as pleased with the new hospitals as we are. While the migration of all services will be phased over the next two months when both hospitals are fully operational they will revolutionise healthcare for patients.”
Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Sport, Shona Robison, said: “This is a significant day for NHS Scotland, and in particular for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. Building Scotland’s largest ever hospital has been a long and complex challenge, so bringing this project in on time and on budget is a real achievement in itself.
“Today, all that work finally comes to fruition as we welcome the first patients for their appointments. These are state-of-the-art facilities, at the forefront of the latest advances in healthcare, and will transform the care patients receive from their NHS.
“The Scottish Government has invested £842 million in this project, which will provide patients with access to services for all ages on a single site – bringing with it increased efficiency, shorter waiting times and better continuity of care. It is part of over £2 billion of Government investment in Scotland’s health infrastructure over the four years to 2016, demonstrating our commitment to providing modern, state-of-the-art NHS facilities for patients.”
The adult hospital features 1,109 patient rooms which all have an external window and are equipped to the highest standards with private shower and toilet facilities, free television, radio and Wi-Fi.
Another patient who joined Linda as being one of the first patients was James McLellan. James’ has been attending surgical outpatient appointments in the old Southern General and cannot believe the scale of the new hospital.
He said: “I wasn’t sure what the new hospital would be like but this is brilliant. It’s like a five star hotel. I am really impressed.”
A wealth of Information about the new hospitals can be found on our website via a dedicated new hospitals portal www.nhsggc.org.uk/newhospitals. This includes three new animated films on travelling to the new hospital campus and arriving and using the new South Glasgow University Hospital and the new Royal Hospital for Sick Children.
ENDS
Notes to Editor
The scale of the migration of services to the new South Glasgow University Hospital and the new Royal Hospital for Sick Children is both significant and complex to plan.
Our clinical and management teams have had to work very closely with colleagues across other services – especially the Scottish Ambulance Service – to ensure co-ordination delivers continuity of services.
Those involved in the migration schedule have worked tirelessly to deliver a model that will be safe for our patients and to the continuity of services across the city and beyond.
The entire operation is being co-ordinated and managed by our New South Glasgow Hospitals Project Team who have drawn up a detailed programme of all the activity, with daily schedules of equipment deliveries, staff training and familiarisation and testing of all areas of the hospitals.
Over the next eight weeks our dedicated New South Glasgow Hospitals Project Team will lead the migration of staff and patients.
For further information either telephone 0141 201 4429 or email press.office@ggc.scot.nhs.uk.