A high-dependency unit has been opened to provide extra beds for seriously-ill patients in North Yorkshire.
The building follows a successful bid for cash to the NHS regional office to expand and develop critical care services at York District Hospital.
The hospital authorities were awarded £200,000 for the building work and £132,000 for equipment, together with resources for extra staff.
It takes the number of intensive care beds up to six, and the number of high-dependency beds up to four.
The high-dependency unit looks after patients who need a level of support that is a step down from intensive care but are not yet ready to return to the wards. It is often used in the period before or after surgery.
Critical care manager Christine Morris said: "Although we always work as hard as possible to provide the best care, this extra investment will allow us to do an even better job and actually doubles the number of HDU beds available.
"A lot of hard work has gone into this and patients will really feel the benefit."
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