Plans Unveiled for Hospital Staff Accommodation Block

Details have emerged regarding a proposed new building intended for staff accommodation at a hospital. These plans form a component of a £600m modernization project for North Devon District Hospital (NDDH). This project is among four NHS construction initiatives in the South West presently undergoing government scrutiny. The Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust intends to dismantle Munro House and Chichester House, located on Raleigh Road, and erect a single four-storey, flat-roofed structure in their place. This week, North Devon MP Ian Roome informed Parliament that a lack of funding for the hospital’s comprehensive upgrade would place critical and acute services at “serious risk of service failure”. The proposed new facility would incorporate 112 ensuite bedrooms, with a portion designed for wheelchair accessibility, alongside a laundry room, study zones, and storage for bikes and surfboards. According to the trust, the new accommodation is expected to aid in the recruitment and retention of staff. The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) reports that the current accommodation units are five decades old. This accommodation unit is planned as the initial stage of the project, to be followed by the construction of new intensive care amenities and operating theatres. The previous Conservative government had committed funding for these works as part of the 2019 New Hospitals Programme.