The Great Western Hospitals (GWH) Trust in Swindon, England, is set to open a new and larger emergency department, BBC has reported.
Scheduled for opening in July, the department involving £33m investment will result in a facility that is 60% larger and can accommodate an additional 44% patient capacity compared to the current department.
It will provide enhanced privacy for patients, cubicles equipped with doors, increased toilet facilities, designated spaces for relatives, and a private room specifically for patients experiencing mental health crises.
Furthermore, the development includes a new children’s emergency unit, which is expected to open in the autumn.
This unit will also have sensory and baby rooms to cater to the needs of younger patients.
The new structure received £27m in funding from the UK government, while the remaining costs are covered by the management trust of GWH.
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By GlobalDataAdditionally, GWH’s charity arm, Brighter Futures, is actively raising funds to procure additional equipment and soft furnishings to complete the new units.
GWH Trust operations manager Kevin Clark was quoted by the news agency as saying: “There are going to be massive changes in the way patients are managed. It is literally setting from zero and reinventing the wheel to some extent.”
Clark explained that the new facility will be equipped with solar panels and heat pumps and powered completely by green electricity.
The children’s unit is due to open by the end of September.
Last month, the UK Government expanded mental health support for children and young people by allocating a further £3m to establish more early support hubs across the country.
The hubs aim to provide early interventions and improve access to mental health services, potentially easing the strain on NHS resources.