AFTER more than 60 years of waiting the doors of South Bristol Community Hospital have opened, something described as a "dream come true" for local people.
Nurses tended to the first patients in the urgent care centre within half an hour of its opening yesterday and the first people used the X-ray service over the course of the day.
The relocated Knowle West walk-in centre, which benefits from the addition of X-rays and other diagnostic tests, was the first service to open at 8am. It was later followed by general X-ray appointments.
The £45 million community hospital, which will serve a population of 155,000 is opening in phases with more services moving over to Hengrove Park over the next two weeks.
The first patient through the doors was Wendy Redman from Hartcliffe who needs regular blood tests because she is on medication for a heart condition.
"I used to go to the walk-in centre at Knowle but this is easier because I only live five minutes away.
"It is very nice with very friendly staff here – a lot of them have come from the walk-in centre so I know them quite well.
"I didn't realise I was the first in. Considering I'm in and out of hospitals all the time it makes a change to be the first person to try something new.
"This hospital is just long-waited for. I signed the petitions because we have needed this in the area."
She was followed by Lucy Perry, 24, of Felton took her four-year-old daughter Lily Perry-Coggins to the urgent care centre because she was unwell.
"I came here because I rang the walk-in centre at Knowle and they said it had moved over here," she said.
"It's quite exciting being here because it's all new and it is a lot bigger than I had expected."
The urgent care centre will see patients with minor illnesses and injuries but will also be able to X-ray patients with suspected minor fractures and will be able to start their treatment rather than referring people to the larger hospitals.
Urgent care centre lead, Sarah Brierley said: "It is amazing that the hospital is finished and we are here as it has been years in the building.
"The last three months have been incredibly busy for the staff getting ready for it. It is a fantastic facility and a really beautiful, light environment for the patients that has got better facilities than we had before."
Gemma Collings, who works for Bristol Community Health was the manager for the project to prepare the new hospital for its opening.
"Things were a bit chaotic at times but I think the end result is pretty astonishing," she said.
"I am really relieved and really privileged that we have been able to deliver this. It has been long-awaited and to be part of the team to make this happen is a privilege. It is wonderful for the people of south Bristol."
There will be 30 patients transferred from Bristol General to South Bristol Community Hospital when it closes next week.
It will be followed by the community dental teaching unit from Bristol Dental Hospital and then day surgery, which will include cataract operations, gynaecology and orthopaedics.
Matron at Bristol General and the new hospital, Neina English, said: "It has been a really exciting day to see the hospital finally get there and ready to open and see it operating from a working building.
"We have still got a way to go and a hospital to close, which we have lots of plans for."
Programme director from NHS Bristol, Ben Bennett, led the hospital project and attended numerous public meetings to talk to people about plans over the last eight years.
"It finally feels real now," he said.
"It is going to affect everybody in south Bristol and touch everyone's life. They will either be patients or have relatives or loved ones who are patients or will work here.
"I'm thrilled and an just looking forward to seeing it in a month's time and seeing how it gets used.""
Now the hospital has opened the running has been taken over by University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the Bristol Royal Infirmary and its staff will be holding clinics and surgery at South Bristol.
Bristol South MP Dawn Primarolo cut the ribbon to open the hospital she campaigned for.
She said: "I have never opened a hospital before. This is actually a dream come true for the people of this area. Many of them campaigned for it over the decades and regrettably never saw it because they have died of old age. Many of them campaigned and dreamed of this hospital but never believed it would be here, or I would ever be here.
"The late Geoff Scaife (head of the former Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Strategic Health Authority) in 2003 believed in this project and supported me all this way and encouraged me. It is a great regret that he is not here."
Ms Primarolo thanked the people from NHS Bristol who led the project along with those from the council who worked on bringing the whole of the Hengrove Park project together.
But she saved her biggest thanks for the people of the area who campaigned for their hospital.
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