The Day Surgery Unit at the Churchill Hospital has been redesigned and refurbished to make it more comfortable and private for patients.

The unit supports ten operating theatres where over 8,000 operations are performed each year - most of these are for patients with cancer.

The majority of patients will spend time in the Day Surgery Unit as they wait to be admitted for their operation, and afterwards when recovering, before going home or being transferred to the wards.

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (OUH), supported by Oxford Hospitals Charity, has redeveloped the area, bringing in a new design to reduce stress and anxiety and with privacy and comfort in mind.

There are now individual consultation rooms, single rooms with en-suite facilities and more comfortable same-sex bays. The reception and waiting area is brighter and more welcoming, and non-clinical and staff areas have also been redeveloped. The courtyard garden, which provides a quiet, outside area for patients and relatives to sit, has also been improved.

The unit is now far more welcoming for all patients, including those who have dementia, and there is a dedicated area specifically for breast cancer patients, for consultations and prosthetic fittings.

There is also an area for staff to take a break and store their belongings - a simple facility that nevertheless gives a huge boost to the morale of the clinical teams.

Over £60,000 was raised by Oxford Hospitals Charity through a combination of donations and fundraising events, such as abseils, marathons and dinners, to help support the project.

Theresa Lowry, Deputy Matron, told us: "The department has been transformed for both patients and staff, and we are incredibly grateful to everyone who supported the fundraising."

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