Emergency Department Refurbishment

We have made some improvements to the existing Emergency Department (ED) that will help increase our capacity in the short-term and also pave the way for bigger plans to expand the hospital over the next five years.

The Trust received one-off funding from NHS England of £15million, as part of a drive to upgrade a number of Emergency Departments across the country.

The scheme aims to enhance infection prevention and control measures and increase the capacity of the resuscitation and treatment areas.

Our ED was built for approximately 22,000 attendances per year, however in a normal year we see close to 50,000 people.

The refurbishment included two extensions - one in the courtyard at the rear of ED and one at the front entrance - and improvements to the existing ED.

It has provided more clinical spaces, including larger resuscitation rooms and bigger cubicles, improve patient flow and provide staff with better support facilities.

The work was planned in a way that minimised disruption, making sure that the ED remained open 24/7. 

The refurbishment will help improve the Emergency Department now and help us prepare for our long-term plan to expand further with a new building that will also include a new Critical Care Unit.