New unit for children's hospital

The extension will centralise children's health services

Work has begun on a new £6m extension at Bristol's Children's Hospital.

It will house paediatric inpatient services, which will transfer from the city's Southmead hospital next April.

The purpose-built facility includes 16 individual cubicles and one four-bedded bay. There will also be "bedside beds" for parents and a new play area.

The move aims to centralise children's health services and save young patients having to be transferred between the two hospitals.

Maureen Betts, senior nurse at North Bristol NHS Trust, said: "Our vision for many years has been for all children's acute inpatient services to be located on a central site, to provide a more joined-up service with a single point of access.

"The promise of moving to a purpose-built unit that staff and patients have been involved in designing is very exciting."

The new building is being paid for by the Department of Health, with £90,000 coming from the Wallace and Gromit Grand Appeal for art enhancement.