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Transforming our Hospital in Rugby

Artist's impression of the new ward and theatre complex at the Hospital of St. Cross.

We have ambitious plans for the long-term benefit of our patients in Rugby. Click here to see our designs.

The Trust’s current strategy, More than a Hospital, published in 2022, sets out a clear commitment to the development of the Hospital of St Cross, Rugby. Over the next decade, our vision is to develop the site as the Trust’s elective surgical hub and centre for excellence.

This multimillion pound development will mean more services at the Rugby site for the local population, with a focus on increasing planned care activity for patients with less complex cases, and in specialties such as ophthalmology, breast care, general surgery and orthopaedics.

In December 2023, the Hospital of St Cross was accredited as an elective hub for Coventry and Warwickshire, delivering faster access to some of the most common planned procedures in such services as urology, ophthalmology, trauma and orthopaedics, and breast surgery. These services are now delivering more planned care for local people, such as knee and hip operations, eye procedures and ear, nose and throat surgery.

This is the latest in a long line of major developments at the Hospital of St. Cross to further improve access to healthcare for our communities. These include:

  • Modular build of two new theatres, providing a modern building and facilities to expand surgical capacity.
     
  • £1 million Haematology and Oncology unit opened in 2021. The Maple Unit has five outpatient consultation rooms and nine day case treatment chairs, increasing the number of outpatient appointments for local people.
     
  • A specialist breast care unit offering surgical and nursing support, as well as nurse-led clinics, reconstruction and plastic surgery. New services include nipple areola tattooing, Macmillan-funded breast surgery physiotherapy and bespoke pilates classes.
     
  • New ultrasound unit in outpatients, expanding the current service. The additional scanner enables 4,000 more procedures a year to be carried out. 
     
  • A new modular Endoscopy unit, providing a dedicated two-storey unit, delivering 30% more tests for patients with potentially life threatening conditions across Coventry and Rugby. Part of a £34 million investment by the NHS nationally to speed up diagnosis for patients, the new suite opened in October 2023, treating up to 50 patients per day and providing better access to vital diagnostic procedures
     
  • Wayfinding and signage – including a new site map.
     
  • Rugby Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC) virtual link to University Hospital – meaning consultant clinical advice can be easily sought.
     
  • Invested more than £4 million in a host of energy-saving measures thanks to funding from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), as part of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS). The work includes air source heat pumps/ solar panels (on every building)/ LED lighting. This is topped up by more than £60,000 invested by the Trust.

 

Our plans for THE hOSPITAL OF sT. cROSS

Supporting the move to more planned care in Rugby, in April 2024 the Trust submitted a planning application for a new multimillion pound facility for four theatres and two 24-bed wards. 

The Theatre and Ward complex would take more than two years to come to fruition if planning permission is granted. It will be set over three storeys, with the ground floor containing the operating theatres, the first floor housing two wards and the second floor including a plant to meet extensive mechanical and electrical requirements. A new staff car park is also planned, creating more spaces for patients and visitors elsewhere.

 

The scheme is designed to be environmentally sustainable and is working towards achieving a BREEAM ‘excellent’ rating. The rooftop will feature new solar panels providing renewable energy and the car park will contain electrical car charging points.

Details of the planning application can be found here: Citizen Portal Planning - application details (agileapplications.co.uk)

This proposal is part of a wider vision for the redevelopment of the Hospital of St Cross, so we can offer high-quality services from modern and sustainable facilities, improving access and experiences for people living locally. This includes a new front entrance and relocation of some non-clinical services to support better navigation of the Rugby site.

This page will be updated to bring you all the latest news and developments on our ambitious vision for the Hospital of St Cross.