AN ‘URGENT’ proposal for a new intensive care unit, which will triple the number of beds for seriously ill patients in Oxford, will go ahead despite ‘serious’ problems over the lack of parking.

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust's plans to erect a five-storey building with 32 more beds on the John Radcliffe Hospital site were approved by Oxford City Council’s East Area planning committee in a meeting on Wednesday.

Permission was granted just weeks after the proposal was unveiled.

The hospital currently has 16 dedicated ICU beds for adults, however, many more have been used during the pandemic.

Under the plan, the existing Barnes Unit and link corridor will be demolished, and the tissue building relocated.

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A new ICU for adults will be erected to connect to the existing trauma building across four floors.

Doctor David Garry, consultant in intensive care and anaesthetics, also spoke at the meeting about the 'huge' benefit that this project will bring to the population of not only Oxford but the county too.

He said: "It has been utterly humbling to see what staff around the country and what I have witnessed locally. so this will just be a transformative project.

"It is important to mention the lack of critical care capacity we have in the UK – we have five times less than in Germany and about three times less than in Italy.

"These extra beds will not gather dust during the pandemic, there will be a very good use for all the patients."

Initially, one of the only objections against the development was the loss of 15 disabled parking spaces to accommodate the new build.

An amendment in the plan now ensures that they are saved and instead, 15 non-disabled spaces are cut, which councillor Elizabeth Wade called a 'serious problem'.

During construction, however, the number of disabled spots will be reduced to eight only.

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Ms Wade commented: "This could stop nursing staff from instance coming from Bicester or Witney to do a late night shift.

"I also know that at the moment it is very difficult for staff at the JR to find parking spaces, so they often have to arrive long before their shift to get one – like 7am to start work at 8.30am.

"I think this is going to make the situation more difficult when this new unit starts unless we resolve the parking situation and it does not seem to have been addressed really."

But other councillors like John Tanner were thrilled with the proposal.

Mr Tanner said this is 'excellent' news for Oxford and the plan was 'long-overdue' because of the huge shortage of ICU beds.

While most planning committee members agreed this is a proposal they should all 'get behind', councillor Altaf Khan abstained from voting at the meeting.

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