Queen Elizabeth Hospital hopes to offer an improved service for its patients after a new and improved post-surgery care ward was reopened.

Some beds in the surgery care unit had previously been used for emergency patients in A&E if the hospital was particularly busy.

In some cases, this meant patients experienced delays and cancellations in planned surgery appointments.

However, now the ward has been revamped, the hospital plans to "ring-fence" the beds so they are kept specifically for patients recovering from surgery.

Staff on the ward celebrated the new ward on Wednesday, when it was officially reopened by Ben Travis, chief executive of Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust.

Dr Paolo Sorelli, consultant colorectal surgeon, said: “It has taken a huge amount of hard work and planning to get to this stage and I’d like to thank all our staff.

"The changes to the surgery day care unit have been made as part of a major improvement plan, which includes setting up a new surgical service in the QEH outpatient 'ambulatory care' unit.

"This means that patients who come through the emergency department with surgical issues, such as abdominal pain, can see a senior surgical consultant sooner.

"This reduces the amount of time that these patients need to stay in hospital, with early treatment to promote recovery.”