1 week Ago
Royal Bolton Hospital has unveiled plans to transform its A&E to create a new modern waiting room to help with demand and meeting national four-hour targets. The emergency department will remain open 24 hours a day and seven days a week throughout building work . A total of £1.
74m will be invested to reconfigure the department and urgent treatment centre to help meet national targets for four-hour quality standard and ambulance handovers. The project, which gets underway from Monday (14 April), is designed to keep patients moving through the Emergency Department. The building works are expected to take around 27 weeks to complete.
Once the transformation work is complete, the hospital will have a new dedicated ambulance handover area, an additional rapid handover bay and a newly-designed and modern waiting room to support new ways of working to manage rising demand for services. Rae Wheatcroft, Chief Operating Officer at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, said: “ We have made a number of changes to our emergency department over the years, but we know our population’s needs and the way people access care are changing faster than ever before. “This major transformation will allow us to create a modern healthcare environment that is better for both our patients and staff, and will help us to make sure our sickest patients get to where they need to be as quickly and safely as possible.
READ MORE: Bolton heart attack survivor's thanks for 'second chance at life' Royal Bolton Hospital medic punched in face by patient Former Bolton A&E nurse to retire from NHS after 35 years “Throughout the building work our emergency department will remain open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. “If you have a life or limb-saving emergency, please continue to use our services to get the urgent help you need. “As always, for any minor illness or injuries, please consider using our Urgent Treatment Centre, your local GP or pharmacy.
If you’re unsure about where you need to be, NHS 111 online or by phone can provide useful advice.” Whilst works are underway a new temporary reception will be set up in a modular building outside the pedestrian entrance to the Emergency Department. People are asked to attend with a maximum of one visitor to help manage reduced capacity in the waiting room during construction.
Royal Bolton has cautioned patients that as with any major work , there will be noise disruption as work to improve the building progresses. Signs and digital screens are also in place to help direct people to where they need to be. The temporary reception will be situated directly outside the pedestrian entrance, limiting the number of spaces available to drop-off patients.
People are advised, if they can, to drop-off patients at the main entrance of the hospital, which is a short walk to the emergency department. Throughout this time, patients will still be able to access all emergency care services as usual, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Royal Bolton have advised patients to access services is via the urgent treatment centre (UTC), which is equipped to deal with both illnesses and minor injuries.
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