Queen's Hospital

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Queen's Hospital
Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals NHS Trust
Location
Place Havering, London, England, (UK)
Organisation
Care System Public NHS
Hospital Type District General
Affiliated University Bart's and the London Medical School
Services
Emergency Dept. Yes Accident & Emergency
Beds 939
History
Founded December 2006
(replaces Harold Wood and Oldchurch)
Links
Website Trust Homepage
See also Hospitals in England

Queen's Hospital is a new hospital in the London Borough of Havering in London, England. Building work began in June 2003 and finished in October 2006.

It is the flagship hospital of the Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals NHS Trust and replaces both Harold Wood Hospital and Oldchurch Hospital.


Contents

[edit] Design

The hospital comprises four large circular buildings and a one-level building. It has a distinctive shape compared to other local NHS hospitals, such as King George Hospital in Chadwell Heath. The building takes up 8.5 hectares of the 12.5 hectares of land it is situated in. The hospital contains a coffee shop, a food court, vending machines and a shop. The hospital has 939 beds and the ability to provide a further 60 if needed.

There are four floors in the building. The wards are:

  • 1st floor: Coral, Tropical Lagoon
  • 2nd floor: Sahara, Amber and Ocean
  • 3rd floor: Cornflower, Mandarin, Bluebell and Clementine
  • 4th floor: Sky, Sunrise and Harvest

[edit] Location and transport

The hospital is located near to Romford Ice Arena on Rom Valley Way. The London Buses routes 365 and the 496 have been diverted and the 496 terminates at Queen's Hospital instead of at the Vue cinema. [1]In early January 2007 the 175 and 193 were changed to serve the hospital. The nearest railway station to the hospital is Romford railway station and the nearest London Underground station is Elm Park tube station.

[edit] Transfer and opening

The ward, department and patient moves were all performed according to the plan. As a consequence Harold Wood Hospital closed on 13 December 2006 and Oldchurch Hospital closed on 10 December 2006. Patients were moved to the new hospital between 6 December 2006 and 10 December 2006. The hospital was fully operational from 20 December 2006.

The hospital has been criticised for a telephone system that is not answered[2] [3] and for other administrative problems.[4] A campaign is underway to prevent the tentatively planned downsizing of King George Hospital and transfer of functions to Queen's Hospital.[5] In August 2007 the Daily Mail ran an article highlighting the lack of facilities and understaffing at this modern PFI hospital in which a woman is forced to deliver her own baby in an ENT ward toilet.[6]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Transport for London - Bus services from Queen's Hospital (PDF)
  2. ^ London24 - Is anyone there?. 26 January 2007.
  3. ^ London24 - Pensioner in pain is left hanging on. 18 January 2007.
  4. ^ London24 - Lives being put at risk. 17 January 2007.
  5. ^ London24 - King George fight: It's just the beginning. 04 January 2007.
  6. ^ Daily Mail - Woman delivers in Toilet in understaffed Queens Hospital. 18 August 2007.

[edit] External links