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New Salisbury hospital ward named Imber after staff poll

A NEW hospital ward has taken the name of a Wiltshire village taken over by the military during the Second World War.

Staff at the Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust have picked a name for the new ward, currently under construction, choosing Imber, a tribute to the village taken over by the military to train American troops ahead of the liberation of Europe in 1943, the same year as the US Army Field Hospital opened on Odstock Road.

The £14 million building at Salisbury District Hospital will provide 24 additional beds in a state-of-the-art ward, incorporating a mixture of four-bed bays and side rooms, which clinical teams have been heavily involved in designing.

It will be an environmentally-sustainable building, with the Imber Ward set to open in Spring 2024.

The extra beds mean elderly care patients will be cared for in a dedicated space, which in turn allows surgical beds to be better utilised to deliver much-needed elective care, such as day surgery, bosses said.

Stacey Hunter, Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust CEO, added: “We are delighted with the progress being made in the construction of our new ward, and it’s great to have given it a name.

“Imber Ward will provide elderly care in a state-of-the-art modern environment, supporting the Trust’s elective recovery programme.

“The ward marks a major milestone in our Trust’s efforts to deliver the very best compassionate, effective care to our community.”

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