A LIFE-SAVING facility designed to help the most seriously ill patients has been officially opened at Southend Hospital.

The £1million high dependency unit, named the Kitty Hubbard Ward, contains four beds offering state-of-the-art care.

Blanca Boira Segarra, the clinical director for theatres, critical care and anaesthetics, said: “Until now we didn’t have a dedicated area for these patients and Kitty Hubbard HDU will support patients from all specialities across the hospital who need a higher level of care than can be provided on the speciality wards, but who do not need intensive care.

“In addition, the HDU beds could prevent admission of deteriorating patients to intensive therapy units by providing speedy intervention in a high dependency environment.

“Prior to HDU opening these patients would be cared for in wards across the trust, now we will bring patients together for specialist care rather than our staff and equipment having to go to several different areas.

“The new unit will also help us to step patients down from the intensive care unit before they go back to a normal ward.

“This will have a positive impact on the capacity to admit intensive care patients.”

A total of £212,000 was donated by the hospital associated charities who helped bring this fantastic lifeline to patients enabling the trust to purchase essential medical equipment to furnish the unit with the top of the range technology required.

The Southend Hospital Charitable Foundation For Wards Appeal contributed £60,000 towards the cost of equipping one HDU bed.

The majority of this money, £50,000, was raised from the proceeds of the Southend Hospital Charity Shop in Hamlet Court Road, Westcliff.

The remaining £152,000 came from donations and legacies left to Southend Hospital Charity by

The Kitty Hubbard HDU was officially opened with a plaque unveiling by the hospital’s managing director, Yvonne Blucher.

An opening address was given by Alan Tobias OBE, the chairman of Southend Hospital, at the opening yesterday.