New Manager for Walnuttree Hospital in Sudbury

23 January 2004

A new manager has been appointed to Walnuttree Hospital in Sudbury.

Sue Jenkins started working as manager of Walnuttree Hospital on 1^st January 2004. Her previous role was Modern Matron at the Whittington Hospital in London. She has considerable experience of working in the NHS, having joined in 1986 as a Health Care Assistant. She qualified as a nurse in 1991 and went on to hold senior nursing education posts at hospitals in London.

Walnuttree Hospital is part of West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust, and provides a vital part of the care provided by the Department of Medicine for the Elderly. It has 68 beds, three wards for consultant geriatric beds, one ward for GP beds, and a Day Hospital. There are also a variety of outpatient clinics serving the general population.

As well as being responsible for the running of Walnuttree Hospital, Sue Jenkins also manages wards G6, G7 and G8 at West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds as part of her role as clinical manager for care of the elderly and rehabilitation. These are rehabilitation wards for people recovering from  orthopaedic surgery, stroke or illness. Sue also manages the outpatient department at St Leonard’s Hospital in Sudbury.

The Walnuttree Hospital was built in 1836 and needs to be replaced. Having considered the health and social care needs of the local population, an innovative model of care has been proposed to meet those needs.  Involving a new build on land owned by the Trust between Churchfield Road and Waldringfield Road, it brings all the services together on to a single health and social care campus. The aim is for this new facility to be ready for use in 2006.

 “I am very pleased to be taking on this exciting role at a time of change for health services in Sudbury,” said Sue Jenkins.  “I know that the Trust is committed to providing the best possible health care for the people of Sudbury, and it is good to be able to contribute towards that aim.”