Patients and visitors coming to Colchester Hospital, as well as staff, will benefit from new shops and cafes as part of a huge transformation of the building.
East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT), which runs the hospital, can now reveal who will be setting up shop on the ground floor of the building as part of the multimillion pound transformation of the front entrance.
M&S Food to go, WH Smith, Costa Coffee and Stock Shop will be open at the Turner Road site by the end of the year. It is hoped another retailer will also join them, but that has yet to be confirmed.
Nick Hulme, ESNEFT Chief Executive, said: “The experience of coming to hospital can be a tough and anxious time for our patients and visitors. Our existing facilities are not able to meet the demand of the increasing population we serve at the moment, but we hope the arrival of new retailers offering more choice and space will be of benefit to all.”
The extension of the building, which is being funded by working with commercial partner Noviniti, will take the form of two blocks. The first is single-storey and provides additional space for the Emergency Department, which will include an Urgent Treatment Centre.
The second is a larger, two-storey block which forms the new entrance. This will provide non-clinical hospital space on the first floor, with new visitor facilities and the convenience/retail outlets on the ground floor.
Nick Chatten, acting Director of Estates and Facilities at ESNEFT, said: “The areas within the existing foyer will be moved into new accommodation. The foyer will be refurbished to create a more modern and spacious entrance, creating a welcoming, safe and comfortable environment for people arriving at the hospital.”
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