Hospital refurb gets underway

The building work at Darley Dale’s Whitworth Hospital follows a generous pledge by Matlock Hospitals’ League of Friends – which announced it was donating £280,000 to the refurbishment project in May this year.

After months of planning behind the scenes, phase one of the modernisation work – covering physiotherapy and inpatient facilities – will soon commence.

Owing to this, patients on the Oker Ward will be moved to a temporary home on the hospital site on Monday, December 10, for a period of six months or more.

The Physiotherapy Department moved temporarily into shared premises with Darley Community Midwifery Unit during the first week in November while the physiotherapy outpatients’ area is substantially upgraded.

Melissa Dalton, matron for Whitworth Hospital, explained how staff were working tirelessly to ensure patients received the same high levels of care while the work is underway.

She said: “We have made temporary arrangements for patients to receive their physiotherapy and inpatient care at other parts of the site while the renovation work is completed.

“There will be some disruption and we appreciate people’s cooperation and support during these major works. At the end of it we will have wonderful new facilities.”