First patients for Walsall Manor Hospital site

It was all-systems go at Walsall Manor Hospital today as the last section of its £170 million pound building project opened to patients for the first time.

The first patients were being seen at the Outpatient and Day Case Centre from 8am today.

The opening follows weeks of preparations by staff to ensure the smooth transition from the former outpatients unit - Sister Dora Outpatients - on the other side of the site.

Matron Claire Keeling said: "It's gorgeous, we are all really pleased. The old system was very disjointed as pathology was in a different building so patients had to go outside to get there.

"This means if you come for an outpatient visit, it's all here under one roof."

The centre is the third and final section of the £170m new hospital complex and means patients moving between different departments of the hospital will not have to leave any of the buildings.

Patient Raymond Crouch, aged 76, of Little Aston, was one of the first few patients to be seen in the centre, and was there with his wife, Kathleen, 71. He said: "It's lovely, there's no other word for it."

Changes to parking arrangements came into effect yesterday in an attempt to avoid traffic chaos around the site. Patients' parking at the Belle Vue car park, now known as car park H, was reduced with more spaces for patients created at car park L, opposite the new main entrance in Pleck Road.

Traffic was flowing freely around the site this morning.