A FUNDRAISING appeal has been launched to provide “extras” for a new intensive care unit at Airedale Hospital.

Construction work on the £15 million development, which will include a 15-bed high dependency unit and 30-bed general acute ward, has begun and is due for completion next March.

Now Airedale Hospital and Community Charity is appealing for support to buy items for the new accommodation, above and beyond NHS provision.

The extras will include sensory lights to go above the beds, and soft furnishings, chairs and televisions for the relatives’ room.

There will also be a sensory garden, with direct access from the unit, and the charity hopes to provide for that.

A spokesperson said: “The garden will be for both patients and staff to use.

“It will allow patients, who could sometimes be on the unit for a number of weeks, to go outside into beautiful surroundings and benefit from fresh air and daylight during their recovery. The garden will also give staff an outdoor environment where they can rest during their breaks.

“To support this, we hope to fund specific chairs that aid rehabilitation as well as benches, plants and murals.

“The recent experiences of Covid-19 have shown the value and importance of having an efficient intensive care unit at Airedale Hospital. The new unit will be a modern space to treat the hospital’s sickest patients.

“Funding has been agreed to build the unit but we need people’s help with this vital project to raise funds for the extras that are over and above NHS provision. They are the smaller things that really make a difference when patients and staff need it the most.”

Dr Julie O’Riordan, consultant anaesthetist and deputy medical director at Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, says the new unit will bring “huge benefits” to the community.

She added: “It will have much better spaces than there are currently to treat patients and isolate them if they’re infectious, as well as quiet areas where clinicians can compassionately talk with relatives.

“With the help of Airedale Hospital and Community Charity, we want to provide an accessible garden for patients on the unit, which will really benefit their mental state and rehabilitation.

“The unit will also be fantastic for staff morale, especially after such a difficult 18 months. The prospect of the new provision is already lifting morale within the department. People are really looking forward to working in a modern intensive care unit.”

To donate to the appeal, visit justgiving.com/campaign/intensivecareforairedale. For more details about how you could help, contact the charity on 01535 294870 or anhsft.charity@nhs.net.