Just what the doctor ordered — the next stages of a £102 million redevelopment of Morriston Hospital are set to get underway within months.
The first phase, which is now complete, provided £17 million for a multi-storey car park, a surface car park, a new helipad, new roads and walkways.
The hospital, which began life at the time of the Second World War as an American military hospital, is in need of modernisation.
Now work on the next stages is expected to start as early as December transforming some of the oldest hospital buildings in Wales into the most modern.
The next phase will see new accommodation for the artificial limb and appliance centre, orthotics, medical electronics and rehabilitation engineering.
In addition, ongoing work upgrading the hospital's mortuary, and accommodation for the estates department, is expected to be completed over the next few weeks.
The spring will see work start on projects such as a new outpatients department, fracture clinic and a new main entrance with shops.
Paul Stauber, Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board's director of planning, said: "This is a very large investment for the Morriston Hospital site and will greatly improve the existing sub standard accommodation, replacing building constructed for the Second World War and the 1940s.
"The new outpatients department will be adjacent to the multi-storey car park, so patients will be able to park their cars and walk straight across to their clinic appointment."
The Welsh Government approved the outline business case for the new developments in March, and a full business case will be submitted by the end of November, with building work hopefully commencing a few weeks later.
A spokeswoman for the trust said that current staff at the hospital had been consulted over the best way forward.
She said: "Designing the new- look facilities has involved close involvement with the clinical staff who will be actually working in the buildings once they are up.
"Their input has been key in ensuring the new environment supports patient services as much as possible.
"Project managers also set up a disability reference group early on, with representatives from 22 groups who all have different disabilities.
"They have played an important role commenting on designs and ensuring the new facilities will be fully accessible to people with all types of disabilities."
South Wales Evening Post - Thursday, 15 September, 2011.
