Work has begun on the multi-million pound expansion of a specialist nursing home in Headington.
A new floor is being added to St Luke’s Hospital, giving an extra 14 beds, at a cost of around £5.5million.
The hospital’s application for planning permission to add the new floor was approved by the city council in September 2016 and, on Thursday last week, construction finally began.
The decision to expand upwards was taken as many original single bedrooms at the hospital, designed in the 1970s, had fallen below the size required by modern standards.
Installing another floor was the only way to find the space to replace bedrooms lost by enlarging the rooms, the hospital said.
St Luke’s is often at full capacity to support people who need respite care and rehabilitation following a discharge from hospital or long-term residential living, including end of life care.
To avoid disturbing patients as much as possible, many elements of the new floor, which will increase the number of bedrooms from 48 to 62, will be built off-site and lifted into place.
Once up and running, improvements to bedrooms and facilities on the first floor will then be made as part of phase two of the development.
The whole project will cost in the region of £5.5m and the Trustees of St Luke’s are asking the public for their support to help raise £1.5m towards the development, which will take a year to build.
Donations can be made at tinyurl.com/yawtxpu9
