Demolition of old buildings at North Devon District Hospital gets underway

Work is underway to demolish the old staff accommodation at North Devon District Hospital and replace it with new staff residences thanks to £22.7million in Government funding.

The money from the New Hospital Programme will be used to demolish two old residences and create new modern accommodation for NHS staff and students staying at the Barnstaple site.

Once complete the new residences will provide 120 ensuite bedrooms, including four fully accessible family apartments and six single fully accessible ensuite rooms, with shared kitchen, living and dining spaces alongside various amenity spaces.

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The trust has said the work is a crucial part of its commitment to improving facilities as part of Phase 1 of the Our Future Hospital Programme at NDDH.

But it is still not as much as the hospital needs, after losing out on funding earlier this year for a rebuild of the hospital itself, promised by the previous government, but now pushed back by the current government until 2035 at least.

North Devon MP Ian Roome met up with trust leaders on site today (Friday, November 21) and said: “The demolition of the old residences at North Devon District Hospital is a really important first step for the Our Future Hospital programme. It frees up the land we need for the next phases after all the hard campaigning for proper investment.

Above: North Devon MP Ian Roome has welcomed the work on new staff accommodation but said the pressure needs to be kept up for more investment in North Devon District Hospital. Credit: Ian Roome’s office

“It was quite something to see those old blocks come down, especially having stayed there briefly myself when I worked at the hospital years ago. They were built in 1978 and well past their sell-by date, so it’s brilliant to see them making way for modern, purpose-built facilities. And the fact that nearly all the demolition material is being recycled is an added win.

“I’m still pushing for more investment and sooner, including an upgraded ICU, modern operating theatres and a new MRI suite. We need to keep the pressure on.”

Along with funding for the staff accommodation, the government has also pledged money for a new MRI suite.

Speaking last month, Chris Tidman, Royal Devon deputy chief executive officer, said: “This is an important step in the Our Future Hospital (OFH) Programme and marks a significant investment in the future of North Devon District Hospital.

“The redevelopment is essential for attracting and retaining healthcare professionals, ensuring the hospital remains at the forefront of healthcare delivery for the region.”

A graphic of how the new staff accommodation at NDDH will look. Credit: Royal Devon

The trust has admitted the work will see come temporary disruption. This has included some additional parking restrictions and loss of spaces in the main patient car park to allow for movement of construction lorries.

The trust has said these will be limited to outside of main outpatient hours whenever possible but several local people have taken to social media in the past couple of weeks to complain they have been unable to find a parking space when visiting the hospital.