THE reception and waiting area of Colchester General Hospital’s main outpatient department has been transformed with a £30,000 upgrade.

The two reception desks have been replaced by one modern desk, creating space for 50 new chairs for patients.

Two old TV sets have been replaced by 42-inch flatscreen models while the repainted area has been changed to allow more patients to look out into the courtyard while they wait for appointments.

Tracey Saunders, outpatient reception supervisor, said there are now two extra workstations, allowing them to help more patients.

She said: “The upgrade has made a huge improvement to the look of the department, really bringing it into the 21st century. It is clean and modern-looking and the featured frontage, which lights up, is a talking piece.

“The patients are receiving a quicker service, and the upgrade has lifted the spirits of patients and staff and made the waiting and working environment a much more pleasant experience.”