Home / Health / Hospital Unveils New Housing for Staff
Hospital Unveils New Housing for Staff
26 Mar
Summary
- New £22.7m accommodation will house 120 staff.
- Facilities include accessible family apartments and single rooms.
- Project aims to attract and retain vital healthcare professionals.
Work has commenced on new staff and student accommodation at North Devon District Hospital in Barnstaple. The hospital has secured £22.7m from the New Hospital Programme for the development of modern, on-site living facilities. These Taw View residences are set to feature 120 en-suite bedrooms, including four family apartments and six single rooms, all designed with accessibility in mind.
The project is a key component of the 'Our Future Hospital' (OFH) initiative, a long-term plan to enhance the hospital's resilience and services for northern Devon. This accommodation is intended for clinical students, visiting clinicians, and on-call medical staff, directly supporting patient service delivery.
OFH clinical lead Professor David Sanders highlighted the importance of this first phase, noting that it not only provides essential short-term housing but also paves the way for relocating the staff car park. This relocation is critical for enabling the next phase of the OFH program, which includes new operating theatres, an intensive care unit, expanded diagnostic facilities, and improved women's and children's services.
The new residences will incorporate solar panels and aim for a minimum 10% biodiversity net gain through habitat provision. The Member of Parliament for North Devon, Ian Roome, has described the investment as practical and has pledged to continue advocating for the remaining funding needed for subsequent stages of the project.
