AN £8.5million expansion of Southend Hospital’s emergency department has begun in a bid to speed up patient care and bring an end to long queues of ambulances waiting to drop off sick patients.
A huge new steel frame was installed yesterday marking a major milestone in the project with hospital bosses hope will speed up the flow of patients through A&E and the whole hospital.
Improvements include a dedicated paediatrics area, linking it to the existing children’s ward and creating a “better experience and calmer environment for children coming into hospital”.
Treatment areas, waiting rooms and resuscitation areas will be redesigned to improve flow through the hospital, meaning those arriving at the Emergency Department will receive the urgent care they need faster.
It is hoped the work will also allow ambulances to hand over patients as quickly as possible and reduce issues with long queues of ambulances outside the hospital during periods of high demand.
Matthew Hopkins, chief executive for Mid and South Essex NHS Trust, said: “For many the emergency department is their front door experience of the hospital, so it’s fantastic to see construction starting, and we know what a difference an improved emergency department will make to our population and our staff.
“We’re not just improving things for now, but this work means we can future-proof the department for years to come.
“This is just the beginning of our improvements, which are being paid for by some of the £118million funding we secured from the Department of Health and Social Care last year.
“We look forward to making further changes to benefit our patients, visitors and staff, with the remainder of the funding.”
The new emergency department is set to open in summer 2025.
A further £110million in funding from the Department of Health and Social Care was promised to the trust in autumn 2023 and will be spent making Southend, Basildon and Broomfield hospitals “fit for the future”.
So far, the trust has received £25million of the initial £40million promised and “hopes” to receive the remaining funding once a full business case is submitted and approved in the next Government spending review in March 2025.
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