POLICE officers will now have a regular presence at the Great Western Hospital following the opening of a new facility.

The police hub, which has opened inside the GWH thanks to funding from a police community project, will improve relationships between police officers and the local community.

Officers hope the hub will provide an on-site facility for officers to work from that can be used as a rest area and a community base for police surgeries and awareness campaigns.

The facility is incorporated into the new Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) offices on the ground floor, where private interview rooms can be used by officers when needed.

PC Rory Draper, community beat officer for Swindon Rural South said: “We wanted to build on our close links with the community and the hub will provide a great way for us to do this.

“A regular police presence on site will mean we can provide reassurance to patients, visitors and staff.

“We will also be on hand to help, to give friendly advice and to signpost people to the right information – it doesn’t have to be a police issue.

“There will be about six police officers who are likely to visit the site on a regular basis, so please come and chat to us if you see us around.”

As well as the new hub, the Trust’s PALS which helps patients and visitors with questions, concerns, suggestions, compliments or complaints about NHS services, has moved to newly refurbished offices.

The PALS team can now be found in the side entrance next to the Rehabilitation Therapy entrance.

The PALS office is open from 9am to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday and you can contact them on 01793 604031 or email pals.team@gwh.nhs.uk.