The big Shrewsbury hospital change set to last three years that visitors need to know about
Work on a major £312m revamp of county hospital services is now underway – but while it takes place there are some important changes for people visiting the site.
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Shrewsbury & Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) has started work on new buildings at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital as part of the £312m 'Future Fit' Hospitals Transformation Process (HTP).
The development is a major milestone for the trust – described as "the biggest investment in healthcare in Shropshire – probably ever", and '"absolutely vital" to improve services.
But, with significant amounts of work to do across the site the trust has had to make some changes to how people get into the hospital, where they park, and how they can get there.
The biggest change is the shift of the the hospital's 'front entrance'.
Previously the entrance was as the 'front' of the site as people enter from Mytton Oak Road.
But now, the main entrance has moved to the rear of the hospital. at the 'Treatment Centre' – along with the main patients' car parking.
The change will be in place until late 2027, when the construction work is expected to be completed.
Two of the hospital's senior figures said they wanted to make people aware of the changes, to make life easier for people visiting the site.
Signs have been put in place across the site, along with an army of volunteers guiding people to the right place.
Dr Ed Ryesdale, a Consultant in Emergency Medicine and the Clinical Lead for HTP, said: "For the next few years this will be the main entrance to the hospital for those patients coming into the treatment centre, but more importantly to outpatients or to X-ray. So this is going to be the new main entrance for the next few years until the hospital transformation has been completed and the new build has opened, later in 2027."
He added: "The main car park for public and patients is at the back of the site now, by the treatment centre."
Other changes at the site have seen the main bus stop for the hospital moved to outside the ward block.
Dr Ryesdale said they were particularly keen to avoid people arriving at the hospital and heading straight for the A&E unit, which is at the front of the hospital.
Other measures introduced at the hospital are the improvement of park and ride services, with Director of HTP, Matthew Neal, saying around 150 staff a day were now using the service, describing the uptake as "really good".
The road around the hospital site is currently two-way, but Mr Neal said they are intending for it to become one-way as the construction efforts ramp up.
The work has seen the helipad for the air ambulance at the hospital also moved to the rear of the site.
Dr Ryesdale urged anyone visiting the site to check the hospital's website, which contains full information and maps of the changes and where to go.
