Dame Julie Walters opens new Worthing Hospital unit
The new urology centre has been three years in the making
Part of a £2.1million investment, the new Urology Investigation Unit (UIU) at Worthing Hospital has officially been opened by actress Dame Julie Walters.
The official opening event for the unit, which is part of a £2.1 million investment, was held outside at the site's Serenity Gardens for safety reasons.
The unit has brought together a multidisciplinary team of doctors and specialist nurses in a purpose-built facility where they can investigate, diagnose and treat patients, improving patient experience, quality and safety.
Dame Julie Walters paid tribute to the staff who work at her local trust, the University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, saying:
“I just want to say, how you managed to achieve, what you have achieved during the pandemic is just extraordinary. The unit is fabulous.
“Congratulations to everyone involved. What a project, and what a triumph. So on behalf of all the current and future patients I want to say thank you.”
Chief executive Dame Marianne Griffiths gave her gratitude to the project team by saying:
“We are so grateful that we have this clinical leadership in our organisation that makes these things happen.”
Clinical director and consultant urologist Suzie Venn added:
“Thank you, it has been a massive team effort. This has been such an achievement to do this during covid.
“But it is not just me, it has been so many people. The entire project team and our wonderful project manager Anne.
“There is one person who I would like to give a special thanks to, and that is Nicky Sullivan, who just never gave up.
“She supported this project fantastically and the fact that this happened was due to her driving her expertise.
“This unit will help give our patients a much better experience.”
UIUs are recommended by the national GIRFT (Getting it right first time) programme and are key to using urology outpatient’s services more effectively by concentrating activity together.