Two state-of-the-art new hospital wards have opened in Southampton, freeing up vital NHS beds.

Patients arrived at Western Community Hospital this month following the completion of the new £21m wing.

The new additions will complement the existing specialist rehabilitation care at the hospital.

Now, all rehabilitation services in the city are now co-located to form the South of England Rehabilitation Centre where psychological, neurological and physical rehabilitation services are available.

Set across two floors, it will provide 50-beds for patients, creating vital space at the Royal South Hants Hospital in Brinton Terrace where rehabilitation services have been provided in the old Lower Brambles and Fanshawe wards for almost 20 years.

It is hoped that recovery times will improve by moving patients to the new site.

Dan Baylis, Chief Medical Officer for the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, said: “This truly has been a labour of love for so many people in the trust; a project that we’ve been planning since 2019 and has had the input of our clinical teams from day one right through until completion to ensure we truly deliver the best possible facilities for staff and patients.

“The building has been carefully designed to create an environment focused on people’s wellbeing and recovery.

“There is plenty of light and space and in the four bed wards we’ve included a table and chairs to allow patients to share their meals together and promote some social interaction.

“The bedrooms are at one end of the building and the courtyard, day rooms, seating areas and gymnasium are at the other end where there is more sunlight, to encourage people to move around the ward.”

The new wards boast the improved facilities, with patients and staff already using them.

Patient Iris Sheppard was one of the first to arrive and said: “The wards are bigger and it looks beautiful when I've been round.

“I'm looking forward to having a good look.”

Eleven people made up a group of the last patients to use the rehabilitation wards at the Royal South Hants.

The staff from these wards have also moved over to work in the new wards at the Western Community Hospital.