Northampton General Hospital to open new 33-bed winter ward

Northampton General Hospital have shared plans for a new speciality ward to provide additional capacity and support patient flow during winter.

The new 33-bedded ward, which will be named Moulton ward, will open later this year and will form part of the hospitals winter planning to deliver safe, high-quality care for patients during the most pressured times of year. By creating more flow in the hospital, it is hoped that the hospital can reduce waiting time in the Emergency Department for patients who need to be admitted.

Located on the site of the old Intensive Care and High Dependency units in the hospital, the space is being fully refurbished ready to care for the first patients in the coming months.

Sarah Noonan, Chief Operating Officer at University Hospitals of Northamptonshire said: “This is a really important part of our winter planning and by adding an additional 33 beds on a dedicated ward space it means we can provide a better experience for patients during pressured times. 

“As well as this, we’re proud that the ward has been named in honour of one of our local parishes Moulton. This fits in well with our other locally inspired ward names and celebrates our history and community.” 

The hospital asked colleagues to suggest and vote for the winning name and from those suggestions Moulton was selected as the winner. This is in keeping with other locally themed wards across the hospital.

Moulton Parish Council Chairman, Cllr David Aarons said "We are absolutely delighted and honoured that Northampton General Hospital has chosen to name its new ward after Moulton. For our village, this is a very special recognition. Moulton has a long and proud history, but it is the strength of our community and the people who live here that make it such a special place. To have the Moulton name associated with a ward dedicated to caring for people is something we are immensely proud of.

“The new Moulton ward will play an important role in supporting patients and helping the hospital provide safe, high-quality care during the busy winter period. As a Parish Council, we are committed to promoting the wellbeing of our residents and fostering a strong, supportive community, so it is particularly meaningful to see the Moulton name linked with a facility focused on health, care and compassion.

“Although Moulton has grown significantly in recent years, it has retained its strong community spirit and village identity. We see this recognition as a celebration not only of our village's history, but also of the community values that continue to make Moulton such a wonderful place to live.

“On behalf of Moulton Parish Council and the wider village, I would like to thank Northampton General Hospital for this honour and wish the staff and patients of Moulton Ward every success when it opens later this year."

You can find out more about the history of the Moulton village name on the Moulton Parish Council website: https://www.moultonnorthants-pc.gov.uk/history-of-moulton