Melton Hospital ward to reopen slightly later than expected

It was closed on August 15 to enable ‘essential repairs’ to be carried out on the flooring and staff had hoped to reopen it by the middle of this month.

But there has been a slight delay in the work and the Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust said contractors had today handed the ward back to the NHS.

A spokesman for the trust told the Melton Times: “We have to reinstall some equipment and clean the ward thoroughly to NHS hygiene standards and are looking forward to welcoming our first inpatients next Thursday (September 26).

“We anticipate that we will build up towards our capacity of 17 in-patients over the next few days.”

Beds were made avaiable for Melton patients at community hospitals in Loughborough, Hinckley and at the Evington Centre in Leicester during the temporary closure and the spokesman added: “No patients were re-located as a result of the closure.

“We gradually closed beds as the closure date approached, and all patients were discharged in the normal manner.”

The trust said the vinyl floor finish on the ward corridor and circulation space was urgently replaced at the 13-year-old Thorpe Road hospital.

Ward matron, Jane Howden, said: ‘The ward looks absolutely glorious.

“As well as the floor being replaced, the ward was totally re-painted too.”

Melton Hospital was opened in 2006 at a cost of £9million but its opening was delayed by a year following a contractual dispute over the quality of the flooring. A number of flooring areas were then relaid to resolve issues regarding its strength.