Inpatients using Beccles Hospital are to benefit from a brand new day room thanks to a generous £100,000 donation.

The hospital’s League of Friends have agreed to pay for the building’s aging conservatory to be demolished and a modern, bright day room built in its place.

As well as providing space for patients to socialise and take part in activities away from the ward, the room will include a utility area where anyone who is undergoing rehabilitation can practice making cups of tea or simple food preparation.

It will also function as a dining room where patients will be able to share meals.

In addition, the League of Friends will help with landscaping the hospital grounds and will fund new bariatric and therapy equipment, such as stairs and parallel bars, for use on the ward.

The work will take place at the same time as the £1.6m refurbishment of the inpatient area planned by NHS Great Yarmouth and Waveney Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) to transform community-based facilities.

It will see the existing Minsmere Ward refurbished, with the number of en-suite single rooms doubled

and a fully-equipped gym and

therapy area created.

Andy Evans, chief executive of the CCG, said: “We are absolutely delighted that the League of Friends has so generously agreed to fund this additional work, which will make a huge difference to the experience of patients undergoing rehabilitation at the hospital.

“We are really looking forward to the completion of the project so that patients can start to benefit from these fantastic improvements.”

Work is due to begin soon.