£6million funding announced to improve Basildon Hospital’s Emergency Department
Patients going to Basildon Hospital's Emergency Department will be seen and treated more quickly thanks to a multi-million-pound investment.
Half of the £6million funding will be used to more than double the size of the hospital's Rapid Assessment, Triage and Treatment (RATT) area, with eight new, larger assessment bays replacing the three currently in use.
The investment will provide a dedicated space to help doctors start tests, treatments and referrals sooner, reducing delays for patients arriving at the Emergency Department (ED).
The project follows the success of a similar scheme at Southend Hospital, which opened in March. Expanded facilities there have helped improve ambulance handover times and patients' experience on arrival at the ED.
Work on the extension is expected to begin in September and be completed by spring next year.
Maimuna Mushabe, Interim Chief Executive of Basildon Hospital, said: "We have already seen the benefits of bigger assessment facilities at Southend Hospital. Increasing our ambulance handover and assessment capacity at Basildon will help cut waiting times, improve patient flow through the Emergency Department and ensure people receive care more quickly.”
Basildon Emergency Department Matron, Danielle Stephenson, said: “This will make a huge difference to our patients and our staff. It means we will be able to give the care we want to deliver in a place that’s fit for modern healthcare practice.”
The expansion forms part of Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust's ongoing programme to improve urgent and emergency care services across its hospitals.
The remaining £3million will fund the replacement of the department's 20-year-old roof, helping to protect clinical areas from water damage and the effects of bad weather. The new roof structure will improve insulation and lighting and have a more sustainable covering.
The department will remain open throughout the project.