Two public footpaths will be closed to support the construction of East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust’s new elective orthopaedic centre at Colchester Hospital.
The footpath linking the Northern Approach Road to the back of the Colchester Hospital site will be closed from Tuesday 30 August.
The Northern Approach Road footpath is closing
It comes as construction of the new Dame Clare Marx Building, which will house the Trust’s new elective orthopaedic centre, progresses.
A short diversion and signage will be in place for members of the public and staff to follow.
From Wednesday 7 September that diversion route will be extended when the footpath outside Elmstead Day Unit is closed for a time as part of the ongoing construction work.
Vehicle access will remain open for drop-offs and pick-ups outside Elmstead Day Unit while the footpath is closed
More details will follow about the duration of that closure as soon as possible.
Dr Shane Gordon is Director of Strategy, Research and Innovation at East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT) which runs Colchester Hospital.
He said: “We appreciate these are well-used routes for our patients, visitors, and staff. However, the closure of the footpaths is necessary for the building work to continue safely.
“These new facilities will bring enormous benefits to the communities we serve.
“We sincerely apologise in advance for any inconvenience caused during the footpath closures and ongoing construction of our new elective orthopaedic centre.”
Clear signage for those who are on foot will be in place. Vehicle access will remain open for picking up and dropping off patients at the Elmstead Day Unit entrance.
As well as signage, blue arrows will be painted along the longer diversion route to help direct people to where they need to go.
Once again, the Trust apologises for any inconvenience caused.
Artist’s impression of the new orthopaedic centre
Building a new elective orthopaedic centre to improve patient care
Work is well underway on the construction of the new elective orthopaedic centre at Colchester Hospital.
It will be dedicated to patients requiring non-urgent surgical procedures for bones, joints, and muscles. These procedures will include hip and knee replacement surgery and revisions.
The centre, within the Dame Clare Marx Building, will help reduce waiting times and the risk of cancellation of elective surgeries.
The Trust is also reviewing how care is delivered in the centre to allow patients to make fewer trips to hospital before their surgery.
Additional funding for the centre has recently been granted to fit out an extra ward and build two more theatres, bringing the total to eight theatres and three wards.
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