News

Turf cutting marks the start of major new project at The Horder Centre

Work is officially under way on a major £3m redevelopment project at leading orthopaedic hospital The Horder Centre in Crowborough.

Roy Greenhalgh, Chairman of The Horder Centre, helped cut the first turf at the site of the new development to mark the start of the scheme.

The three-year project will create extra en-suite patient rooms, a new reception, cafe and out-patients area, a state-of-the-art physiotherapy centre with gym and a new admissions suite.

The first phase of the scheme is expected to be completed by Spring next year.

At the turf cutting ceremony, Mr Greenhalgh was joined by Matron Beverley Asprey and Martin Robinson from leading architects Building Ideas, based in Maidstone, who have considerable experience of working at the Centre having designed the hospital’s new operating theatre.

Mr Greenhalgh said: "This is a very exciting and significant moment for The Horder Centre and marks a well deserved reward for many years of hard work by all the staff here.

"It will greatly enhance the facilities we can offer our patients, and make The Horder Centre even more accessible to those who choose to come here."

Under the NHS Choices scheme, patients who require orthopaedic treatment such as joint replacements can choose to visit The Horder Centre under the NHS.

Diane Thomas, Chief Executive of The Horder Centre, said: "The start of our redevelopment scheme is an historic moment for the Centre and is the biggest development of the hospital since it was founded in 1954.

"One of our key aims is to make The Horder Centre accessible to all, and by expanding and improving our facilities we will be able to achieve this without reducing the quality and standard of care our patients have come to expect."

The Horder Centre is a renowned Charity and Centre of Excellence for patients requiring joint replacement surgery, performing elective orthopaedic surgery and specialist assessment for arthritic and musculo-skeletal conditions.

Putting patients at the heart of its activities, the Centre continues to strive to achieve the principles laid down by its founders more than 50 years ago.

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Jungle Star Kim Helps Raise £2,000 for The Horder Centre

TV celebrity Kim Woodburn was the star attraction at an annual spring fair organised by The Horder Centre orthopaedic hospital in Crowborough.

Kim, runner up in I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here and star of hit TV show How Clean is Your House, met visitors to the fund-raising fair on Saturday (May 8).

She signed autographs and browsed many of the stalls at the event, which raised more than £2,000.

Kim, who lives locally, offered to attend the fair after recommending The Horder Centre to a family friend who needed knee treatment.

She said: "The Horder Centre is such a wonderful place with a fantastic atmosphere so I was very happy to attend the fair, which was so enjoyable.

"The Horder Centre has a great reputation with excellent people and I am glad to be able to help raise the profile of the hospital."

On offer at the fair were stalls selling gifts, jewellery, craft, plants and flowers, as well as beauty and healthcare treatments and live music from Crew of Two.

Pupils from St John's School in Crowborough performed a dance to visitors.

Diane Thomas, Chief Executive of The Horder Centre, said: "The spring fair is an important event in our fund-raising calendar and so for Kim to lend her support was fantastic. I would also like to thank everyone who attended.

"The Horder Centre is going through an exciting redevelopment programme to improve our services even further and the amount raised at the fair will be a tremendous boost."

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Eastbourne Mayor Praises "Amazing" East Sussex Hospital

The Mayor of Eastbourne was guest of honour at leading East Sussex orthopaedic hospital The Horder Centre during a special tour.

Cllr Greg Szanto saw first hand how the hospital in Crowborough treats more than 400 patients a month for a wide range of orthopaedic conditions.

He praised the staff and facilities at the hospital as "amazing" and said he was unaware patients can choose to be treated at the Centre under the NHS.

During the official tour, the Mayor and his wife Clare were shown some of the state-of-the-art equipment used at the hospital and heard from patients about their time at the Centre.

Cllr Szanto said: "I was incredibly impressed with The Horder Centre. It was clean and efficient and the staff were so friendly. It is an amazing place. I met some of the patients who said how pleased they were.

"I did not know that people can choose to be treated at The Horder Centre under the NHS. I would like to make more people aware of that choice available to them."

Diane Thomas, Chief Executive of The Horder Centre, showed Cllr Szanto and his wife around the Centre, which takes both private and NHS patients.

She said: "It was a pleasure to show the Mayor and Mayoress around the Centre and a great opportunity to showcase the quality of the services we offer to a wide range of patients, and highlight the dedication of our staff."