Queen’s Hospital in Romford has opened a new £7.5m Intensive Therapy Unit (ITU) designed to help manage critical care demand and named ‘Jubilee ITU’ in honour of the Queen’s 70-year reign.

The Jubilee ITU is part of an £11.5m investment to upgrade and expand critical care departments managed by Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, which will also include a £4m investment at King George Hospital.

Trust chairman, Jacqui Smith, said: “Our new Jubilee ITU will help us treat our sickest patients in a state-of-the-art environment.

“It will also play a key role as we continue to reduce surgical waiting lists as the increase in beds provides flexibility to treat people who have been waiting for operations faster.”

Key features of the purpose-built facility include the addition of 15 beds, with flexibility to increase to 25 beds during busy winter months, and bright and airy space to provide a peaceful environment for staff and patients.

To create the space, an area previously used for storage was transformed and work also included installing an air handling unit to provide sophisticated ventilation.

Ingleton Wood, a property and construction consultancy, provided architectural, mechanical, and electrical engineering, and project management services for the scheme. 

Paul Cavalier, partner at the firm, said: “We were pleased to support the Jubilee ITU which will save more lives and provide patients with cutting-edge equipment in a modern environment for generations to come. 

“We worked hand-in-hand with the trust to design and deliver the project with care and put the communities across Barking and Dagenham, Havering, and Redbridge in the best-possible position to cope with healthcare needs.”