Hillingdon Hospital plans huge revamp by 2027 as staff ‘fed up’ of old building

Hillingdon Hospital is planning a huge revamp by 2027 in a “once in a lifetime opportunity” to improve healthcare in the borough.

The hospital was one of forty across the country that has been promised part of a £3.7 billion pot by the government to upgrade their facilities.

Under plans for the new hospital, a much larger emergency care department will be built around a new diagnostics hub.

This will give medical staff quicker access to diagnostic equipment and prevent patients from having to walk long distances within the hospital for services such as X-rays and ultrasounds.

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The hospital also plans to double the size of its critical care unit and build a minimum of 70 per cent single rooms on wards, an increase from the current 28 per cent, for added dignity and privacy.

Part of the funding allocated to the revamp will also be spent on new medical equipment.

Hillingdon plans to increase the number of MRI machines at the hospital from two to three, while the number of CT scanners will increase from two to five.

The hospital would be rebuilt while it is still being used by patients, with some services relocated within the site to allow building works to begin.

Nevertheless, the number of beds at the hospital will be similar, increasing from 484 to just 489 in the new building.

The hospital has not yet applied for planning permission for the revamp, but work would start in 2024 with an aim for it to be finished by 2027.

The exact amount of money allocated to the hospital for the revamp from the funding pot has not yet been confirmed.

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Speaking at a meeting of Hillingdon Council’s External Services Committee where an update on the revamp was presented, Dr Abbas Khakoo, who has been a consultant at Hillingdon Hospital for over 25 years, said the hospital badly needed updating and voiced the excitement of hospital staff at the plans.

He said: “It’s why the staff are so enthused about this. They work in a really old building and they are fed up of it.

“But they also see that, actually, the way the departments are organised within the hospital, we have added on different bits in the wrong places, and this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to get it all right really.”

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