The new £35 million wing of St John & St Elizabeth Hospital is set to open in the autumn.
The private hospital, in Grove End Road, operates as a charity, with profits funding its on-site hospice, St John’s.
Work began on the new wing in 2019 and in mid-September two general and two spinal theatres will open, along with patient rooms.
Three more operating theatres will open in October and, in the autumn, the ground floor will become the urgent care clinic.
Caroline Fox, St John & St Elizabeth Hospital’s chief executive officer, said: “Our new wing represents the huge efforts of our staff, our surgeons and our design team to create an environment which will provide the highest standards of care for our patients.
“They have worked against all odds, particularly having to navigate Covid restrictions, to produce a beautiful addition to this historic hospital, and one which will go on to serve the community of St John’s Wood for many years to come.
“The new wing will provide state-of-the-art facilities, enabling us to expand our capacity to treat patients in superb surroundings, which is good news for our St John’s Hospice as all profits from the hospital go towards providing free specialist palliative care to 4,500 hospice patients and their families each year across eight London boroughs.”
Former chief nurse Kerry Barham has been leading the design and furnishing of the interior.
She said: “We have held workshops with heads of department, involved staff and former patients in discussions to ensure we deliver a calm, bright interior which has a feeling of space with wide corridors, neutral colours and plenty of natural light.
“The patient rooms are en suite, each with a wet-room, and large windows overlooking the local tree-lined roads. And our surgeons love the floor to ceiling windows in some of the theatres.
“We’ve all worked together to ensure that patients coming in for an operation can access everything easily. For example, the orthopaedic clinic is close to the reception area which is next door to x-ray – everything in one place which has greatly improved the pathway for orthopaedic patients.”
The hospital opened in 1856 at Great Ormond Street Hospital, under the care of the Sisters of Mercy.
In 1899, a purpose-built hospital was established in St John’s Wood with its chapel moved from Great Ormond Street, brick by brick.
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