CHRISTMAS celebrations started early at Gateshead's Queen Elizabeth Hospital when the doors of its Jubilee Wing opened for the first time.

Healthcare staff marked the arrival of the first inpatients at the £17m wing, which is the flagship scheme in a £30m modernisation programme to improve health services and facilities across Gateshead.

Construction began last year, during the Queen's Golden Jubilee celebrations, with staff naming the building to commemorate the event.

It provides an additional 114 inpatient beds and wards for elderly patients, orthopaedic services and a range of day care facilities.

About 450 tonnes of structural steel and 8,760 square metres of concrete were needed to construct the wing.

Chris Reed, chief executive of Gateshead Health NHS Trust, said: "This is a major milestone for the trust and underlines our commitment to improving health services in Gateshead.

"We have made a substantial investment in improving and developing healthcare and the Jubilee Wing is leading the way as our biggest single investment."

"Besides increasing our inpatient capacity, it will also provide patients with access to the very latest facilities, technology and expertise. Alongside other recent developments, including our new state-of-the-art breast screening and assessment unit, it will help us to build on our position as a three star trust."

The first patients arrived as the last inpatients left Bensham Hospital, in Gateshead.