Purley War Memorial Hospital opened its doors for the first time this week after its £11.5m refurbishment.
A grant from the Department of Health has enabled the hospital to deliver new services and it is estimated 3,000 patients a month will be seen at the site from September, with the figure expected to rise to 7,500 per month by March.
The new physiotherapy and diabetic retinopathy – an eye disease caused by diabetes – clinics will see their first patients this week. The expanded imaging service will assist with x-rays, ultra-sounds and dexas – a type of x-ray used primarily for bone scans.
Further consultant-led outpatient clinics opening from August onwards will include clinics specialising in audiology, cardiology, ear, nose and throat, gynaecology, pain and vascular and elderly care.
A GP practice and ophthalmology clinic will also be opening at the site in the autumn.
The site’s urgent care centre continued to provide care to the community during the renovation period, but has now moved to its permanent home in the old outpatients building facing Brighton Road.
Croydon Health Services chief executive John Goulston described the refurbished hospital as a “21st century healthcare facility for Purley”.
He said: “The project has been a triumph for the NHS and for the community, who have worked closely with Croydon Health Services to develop the new services.
“A total refurbishment of the site has been delivered, creating a new centre for integrated care services that brings care closer to home for the thousands of people who live in the area.”
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