First services move in to new RUH building

The first services and staff have moved in to the new RNHRD and Brownsword Therapies Centre at the Royal United Hospital's Combe Park site.

Therapies and Pain services have moved from their old department area at the RUH and have been joined by the Bath Centre for Fatigue Services, which is the first department from the Mineral Water Hospital to move.

These are the first moves in a phased relocation programme. Rheumatology Services and Rheumatology Therapies will transfer from the Mineral Water Hospital, also known as the Min, next weekend (7-8 September).

Other services currently housed at the Min, chronic pain services, as well as diagnostic and research teams and support staff, will be making the move to the main RUH site in Bath this autumn.

Bringing staff and services together on one site has been many years in the planning, and the RUH has worked closely with patients and staff to design the best new home for each service.

RUH Chief Executive James Scott said: "This is an exciting time for everyone at the Trust and we're really looking forward to colleagues and patients joining us here at Combe Park.

"We know the Min is a much-loved building and there may be some sadness at moving. However, our new facilities will ensure that we can continue to provide the same high quality care, delivered by the same teams, in new and improved surroundings. We've also paid great attention to the interior design of our new buildings, incorporating some of the Min's iconic features and artworks to ensure the history, heritage and significance of the Min will live on."

Thanks to local entrepreneur Andrew Brownsword's gift of £1m, our hospital charity, The Forever Friends Appeal is close to completing the £2m fundraising target towards the new Centre. Every donation made by the public has been doubled by the Brownsword Match Funding Challenge.

For more information visit www.ruh.nhs.uk/relocatingservices

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 has opened the purpose-built RNHRD and Brownsword Therapies Centre and is now working towards the new Dyson Cancer Centre. For more details visit: www.ruh.nhs.uk/fit4future

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