A £1 million ear, nose, throat and audiology department was officially opened at Hinchingbrooke Hospital on Friday (May 8).

Dame Evelyn Glennie, internationally recognised percussionist and local resident, unveiled the celebratory plaque.

The department brings ENT and audiology services together for the first time in Hinchingbrooke’s history and is situated at the front of the hospital providing easy access to other services such as X-ray and ultrasound.

There are now four new ENT consulting rooms, one treatment room and seven soundproof audiology booths, in the new department which will help the Hinchingbrooke Health Care NHS Trust deal with the growing numbers of referred patients.

Last year the trust saw 9,382 ENT patients between April 2014 and March 2015, an increase of 419 compared to the previous year, with audiology seeing over 16,000 patients.

ENT Consultant Ibrahim Srouji said: “At Hinchingbrooke we believe in putting our patients at the heart of everything we do; our new and significantly expanded department will allow us to see more patients, reduce treatment times and improve the quality of care we offer.”

Dame Evelyn Glennie, who is keen to support her local support services, said: “I have lived locally for over 20 years and I know how valuable the services at Hinchingbrooke Hospital are to the local community. For me accessibility is essential; these key services will be critical in reducing disruption and the feeling of isolation.”