A NEW £215,000 spinal outpatient department has been formally opened at Salisbury District Hospital.

Spinal patient Peter Hutchings returned to the Duke of Cornwall Spinal Treatment Centre to open the department.

The centre's outpatient services provide life-long follow-up care for patients - from therapy and advice on equipment - to a whole range of support that helps improve the quality of life for spinal patients when they leave hospital.

Wendy Slater, clinical nurse specialist in spinal injuries, said: “We provide a wide range of follow-up care for patients from across the south and south west of England and, following a spinal injury, our patients will receive ongoing care and support after they are discharged from hospital that will continue for the rest of their life.

“When the centre first opened in 1984 we had around 120 outpatients receiving care from our outpatient team and mainly through two hospital based outpatient clinics per week. “Now we have over 2,500 outpatients and many more clinics run by doctors, nurses and therapy staff as well as an outreach clinic service.”

The new department provides more treatment rooms, better equipment and improved facilities.