PATIENTS being treated at a Ryedale hospital will receive a boost with a facelift costing nearly a million pounds.

Health bosses say the £985,000 refurbishment of Malton Community Hospital’s Ryedale Ward will be carried to help maximise the effectiveness of the hospital’s existing clinical services.

They hope the project at the 43-bed hospital will also further improve the flexibility of the facility’s services. They said they expect the revamp will improve the ward environment for patients and staff as well as help ensure that the hospital continues to meet the needs of the local population.

As part of the overhaul, a new in-patient day room – a communal area where service-users can sit with visitors and watch television – will be created.

In addition, en-suite facilities will be installed in the patient rooms on the ward.

Janet Probert, managing director for NHS North Yorkshire and York community and mental health services, said: “This project is another great example of our continued commitment to improving our community hospital environments for both patients and staff.

“This huge investment will help us to completely modernise the Ryedale Ward for the local community.”

The makeover will be paid for by the strategic health authority, NHS North Yorkshire and York, and Malton Hospital’s League Of Friends.

NHS North Yorkshire and York chiefs said they were waiting for confirmation of when the scheme would begin.

Ryedale district councillor Tony Hemesley, who represents Malton, said: “I’m very pleased, obviously. “Elderly people need the support of their families and friends, especially when they’re ill.”

The announcement will be a welcome piece of good news for local residents, with the hospital’s maternity unit closing as a result of a major new one being built at Scarborough Hospital.