New Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery department now open

The move is complete and the first patients have been seen at the new and improved Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Orthodontics Department at the Royal United Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (RUH).

The department can now be found in C29 in the main body of the RUH. New signs and directions are in place.

The new outpatient department, with updated patient facilities and equipment, is part of the Trust's Fit for the Future programme, a redevelopment plan to transform the RUH site and further improve the services provided. It was partly funded by the RUH fundraising charity, The Forever Friends Appeal which received generous donations from individual donors and a local charitable trust.

The department has new X-ray equipment, four modern consulting rooms, a fully-equipped orthodontics suite, two minor operations rooms, an updated dental laboratory, and a bright and welcoming reception and waiting area.

Among the first patients to be seen was Bath resident Peter Dawnay who was accompanied by his wife Caroline. They said: "The new department has an immediate sense of light and space. The soft gentle colours are peaceful and calming. They've managed to reflect the beautiful nature surrounding the building. All of staff are caring and attentive and thoroughly deserve these modern facilities to match their skills and expertise."

Karen Baker, whose husband was receiving treatment, said: "We walked through the door in to the new department and it really was a wow moment. It's bright, fresh, clean and airy. This must be great for staff morale – they are all brilliant anyway but today everything seemed just that little bit more efficient."

Serryth Colbert, Clinical Lead for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Orthodontics said: "The whole team are over the moon with the new facilities, it's been a long time coming but worth the wait.

"We've worked hard on helping with the design to ensure that it is fit for purpose, enabling us to become a 'Centre of Excellence' where patients will receive top quality expert care."

The Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Orthodontics team's work includes diagnosis and management of facial skin cancer, malignant disease of the jaw and mouth, traumatic facial injuries, facial deformity and pain, oral surgery and orthodontics.

ENDS

Notes to Editor

• The Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust provides acute treatment and care for a catchment population of around 500,000 people in Bath, and the surrounding towns and villages in North East Somerset and Western Wiltshire. The hospital provides healthcare to the population served by four Clinical Commissioning Groups: Bath & North East Somerset CCG, Wiltshire CCG, Somerset CCG and South Gloucestershire CCG.
• The Trust has 759 beds and a comprehensive range of acute services including medicine and surgery, services for women and children, accident and emergency services, and diagnostic and clinical support services.
• In 2015 The Royal United Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust acquired the Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases (RNHRD) NHS Foundation Trust. The RNHRD treats patients from across the country offering services in rheumatology, chronic pain, chronic fatigue syndrome/ME, cancer related fatigue and fatigue linked to other long term conditions such as multiple sclerosis.
• The RUH is changing - we have an exciting programme of redevelopment underway transforming our site and further improving the services we provide. The Trust is building a purpose built RNHRD and Therapies Centre and is now working towards a new Dyson Cancer Centre. For more details visit: www.ruh.nhs.uk/fit4future

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