Hexham General Hospital has an urgent care centre open 8am-10pm, and regular outpatient clinics. Wards include an oncology day unit, a surgical ward for patients who have had general, orthopaedic and gynaecological surgery, a stroke rehabilitation and care of the elderly ward and a general medicine ward.
For the privacy and dignity of patients the hospital wards are largely single, en-suite rooms. The hospital also has a midwifery-led maternity unit with birthing pool. Two GP practices are based within the hospital.
Visitor guidance
The health, safety and wellbeing of our patients, communities and staff remain our overall priority. We will keep visiting arrangements under regular review to support this.
Urgent Treatment Centre
One relative or friend can accompany each patient.
Adult inpatient wards (except for elective orthopaedics)
Hourly visiting slots are available between 10 am and 8pm.
Please help us keep everyone as safe as possible:
- If you can, please book before visiting by contacting the ward.
- Protected mealtimes are in place on all wards. This is so patients have a dedicated mealtime, free from interruptions. Relatives helping with feeding can be an exception. Please arrange this with the ward manager/nurse in charge.
- Only two visitors can be at a bedside at any one time. Exceptions are at the discretion of the ward manager / nurse in charge. This would include patients having end-of-life care. Another example is patients with carers who help them with everyday activities. All visiting requirements are considered on a case-by-case basis.
- Each ward has a maximum number of visiting slots available each hour. This is in line with safe hospital ventilation standards.
If you would like children under 10 to visit, please talk to the ward manager / nurse in charge.
Our staff may refuse entry to visitors or manage visitor numbers. This could happen if an area becomes overcrowded. Wards may introduce specific and enhanced infection prevention measures.
Visiting people with mental health conditions, dementia and/or delirium, learning disabilities and/or autism
We will continue to make reasonable adjustments, so people can stay in touch with their loved ones.
Elective orthopaedics
Special visiting arrangements are in place for elective orthopaedic wards. Please discuss with the admitting team.
Guidance for all visitors
Wash or gel your hands when entering and leaving our hospitals. Do the same when entering and leaving wards, bays or side rooms.
Please do not visit if you have been unwell or have signs of a cough or cold. Wait for 48 hours after diarrhoea and vomiting symptoms before visiting. If you are unsure, please contact us to see if it is safe for you to visit.
Please do not bring in food for patients. If not possible, staff will advise on how to store and dispose of food.
You may need to leave a bedside or ward if staff ask you to. We would ask that you are respectful of other patients during your visit.
To help prevent infections, please do not sit on the bed during visits. Please do not touch equipment.
We welcome service dogs that support a visitor to attend.
By road
Leave the A69 at the Hexham junction, following signs into the town. Go over one roundabout and then turn left at the next roundabout. Follow the road round and up the hill. At the top, turn left onto the A695. The hospital is located on the right-hand side.
Sat nav postcode NE46 1QJ.
By bus
For up to date bus information, please visit the Traveline website
By rail
Hexham receives regular services from Newcastle Central Station and Carlisle. The hospital is a short walk from the station. Check the Trainline website for timetables of all services.
Charges
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0-40mins = Free*
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40mins-1 hour = £2
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1-2 hours = £3
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2-3 hours = £4
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3-4 hours = £5
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24 hours = £6
As it is pay and display, please make sure that you bring change with you and leave plenty of time to find a space.
There are free lay-bys for pick-ups or drops offs or for those picking up a prescription at the pharmacy (maximum stay 20 minutes).
Disabled parking
There are a number of designated free parking bays reserved for disabled drivers displaying a valid blue badge permit
Electric vehicle charging
This hospital has an electric vehicle charging point which is free to use for patients and visitors
Concessionary car parking
We offer free car parking under certain circumstances for patients or their visitors. This includes those patients attending regularly over an extended period, visitors of long-stay patients and those who are staying in the hospital with patients. This list is not exhaustive and exemptions are issued by the ward or department manager – please speak to them if you think you may qualify.
The hospital has disabled access and induction loop.
Cafés and restaurants
There is a restaurant for visitors and shop/cafe run by our Northumbria Volunteer service which is open 8am-3pm, Monday to Friday.
Wi-Fi
Free Wi-Fi is available in this hospital – just choose NHS Wi-Fi on your smart device and follow the registration process to gain access.
April 2024 update
Important update on the final phase of the multi-million-pound refurbishment of Hexham General Hospital
Over the past 18 months, the programme has delivered a brand-new maternity unit with a number of other building projects including an oncology day unit, women’s health unit, endoscopy service, oral surgery and dental unit - all due to be fully completed by the summer of 2024.
The final phase will see the hospital’s current four operating theatres fully refurbished to create a fantastic, modern resource at Hexham that will support innovations like robot surgery which is proving so successful for patients at other hospital sites managed by Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.
The work will see all four operating theatres fitted out with the most modern laminar flow systems which circulates air around the surgical area, minimising the risk of infection for patients.
This will mean much greater flexibility and resilience for surgeons and patients at Hexham by creating an environment that can be used for both surgical and orthopaedic procedures.
The current theatre suite at Hexham will need to close for approximately 12 months while the work is completed with patients and staff moving to either Alnwick Infirmary or North Tyneside or Wansbeck general hospitals for operations that need a general anaesthetic.
The work is anticipated to begin in September/October 2024 with surgical capacity increased at other Northumbria Healthcare hospitals to ensure the flow of patients can continue at the usual pace.
While this local disruption has not been taken lightly, it was felt that the alternatives would either take too long or add even more disruption to the hospital site. Adding a temporary, mobile operating theatre in the car park was considered, but this option was not suitable for patient dignity or privacy.
FAQs
What happens to people who would usually have surgery at Hexham while the building work is going on?
While the building work is being completed patients will be booked into Alnwick, North Tyneside or Wansbeck hospital instead. Staff currently working in theatres at Hexham will also move around the patch to support. the theatre service.
Why are you doing this now?
This is part of the overall refurbishment programme of the hospital, and this is the final phase of work to compete. While there is no ‘good time’ to do this sort of work the contractors are already on-site completing phase two of the project so they can move seamlessly onto the theatre element of the works.
All four operating theatres need to be refurbished to ensure they are fit for the future and have the latest laminar flow technology needed for certain operations. The works will also make the theatres more efficient, flexible, and resilient.
Will this affect waiting times for patients?
No. The work will be absorbed across the trust’s other hospitals using existing staff. By moving to seven-day working, operations should carry on at the usual pace.
Why did you choose to transfer all surgery instead of doing work bit by bit?
We considered a wide range of options including partial closures or continuing operations on a mobile unit at Hexham. However, all the other options either took longer, were more disruptive or did not provide the level of safety, privacy and patient dignity that we would expect.
Could you not have used a temporary solution at Hexham while the work is done?
We looked at installing a mobile unit at the west entrance of the hospital, but this meant road closures, a loss of parking and significant disruption for other parts of the hospital.
Upgrading the theatres two at a time consecutively would have taken two years and because of the complexity of the work would still have required total closure of all four theatres for at least 24 weeks.
When will it be finished?
The closure will begin in September/October 2024 with the work scheduled to take 12 months.
