Actress officially opens ‘first of kind’ cystic fibrosis ward

The actress, who is a patron of the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, toured the new ward yesterday afternoon.

The new facilities include 12 en-suite rooms, which are individually decorated on themes such as the beach or forest. There are also games consoles, televisions and a gym.

The ward is part of the Sheffield Adult Cystic Fibrosis Centre, run by a team of specialist doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, dieticians, psychologists and social workers.

David Reynolds, director of the Sheffield Hospitals Charity which raised £1m towards the cost of the ward, said: “The opening of this facility, which is the only one of its kind in the UK, demonstrates what can be achieved with the generous contributions of local people who we are so grateful to for supporting this project.”

Dr Frank Edenborough from the hospital trust added: “I know how much this ward means to our young patients who find it much less intimidating than staying on a conventional ward, and how much they appreciate the attention to detail in reducing the risk of cross-infection.”