We are very excited to announce that patients who are ready to be discharged from hospital and no longer need a hospital bed will now be able to wait to go home in a dedicated discharge hub at NDDH. In honour of King Charles III, the facility is called the Coronation Suite.

The modular building was lifted into place in March into the space on Level 0 close to the Fern Centre and Ladywell unit. Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS foundation Trust received £2m of Government funding for the unit, part of a national package to support hospital discharge.

Patients awaiting medication and discharge letters, can move from the ward to wait in a comfortable space while still being cared for by a nursing team until they are able to leave hospital. This, in turn, means that their hospital bed on the ward can be made ready for the next patient.

Jason Lugg, Director of Nursing, Northern services at the Royal Devon, said: “We are delighted to be permanently opening this fantastic new facility for our patients.

“The hub is helping us to give patients a more positive experience when leaving our hospital and frees up beds in hospital for those who need them the most.”

The hub has space for up to 20 patients and provides a comfortable space for patients to finalise their discharge, including collecting medications, checking discharge paperwork and contacting next of kin, all supported by our nursing team. Food, beverages and toilet facilities are available.

The discharge hub is one of many initiatives in place to help ensure an improved patient experience as the number of people requiring urgent or emergency care increases.

One of the first patients to use the new hub was Maureen Jones, (pictured below). She said: "The hub is a marvellous idea and a very nice area to wait before your transport home arrives."