£8.9m Southend Emergency Department extension opens
A newly expanded £8.9million Emergency Department (ED), marking a major step forward in improving urgent and emergency care, has opened at Southend Hospital.
The purpose-built extension has been designed to improve the experience of patients from when they first arrive through to assessment and treatment, reducing the time they wait and making sure they see the right clinician sooner.
Fiona Ryan, Southend Hospital Chief Executive, said:
This project represents a significant investment in the future of emergency care at Southend Hospital and means we can deliver faster, more coordinated care for our sickest patients.
The expansion also includes 10 improved Rapid Assessment and Treatment (RAT) bays - five more than before. This is where clinical teams quickly assess and treat patients arriving by ambulance.
With a dedicated consultant and nurse now based in RAT, corridor care has been stopped in ED since the area opened in March, meaning patients are being seen quickly. The RAT area also has two side rooms for privacy or for patients who may have an infection and need to be isolated.
Five large adult resuscitation bays have been created - replacing four smaller, outdated bays - along with a dedicated paediatric bay. The expanded paediatric area offers more space, improved privacy and allows parents to stay with their child during treatment.
Natasha Kerrigan, Chief Estates and Infrastructure Officer for the Trust, said: “The opening of this extension marks an important milestone for Southend Hospital and, most importantly, for the patients and communities we serve. Developed in close partnership with our clinical teams, the expanded Emergency Department provides a modern, welcoming environment that supports the delivery of safe, timely and high-quality care.
“It also gives our staff greater flexibility and capacity to respond to increasing demand, ensuring the department is better equipped to meet the needs of local people both now and in the future.”
As part of the development, the Paediatric Assessment Unit (PAU) will move from Neptune Ward into the new space this autumn. It will be located alongside the children’s ED. This move will support faster and more seamless transitions between ED and the assessment unit, allowing children to be observed for longer periods and receive treatments more efficiently when needed.
Fiona said:
By moving the PAU next to our paediatric ED, we’re making sure our children, young people and their families will be getting a smoother service.
With the support of charitable funding, a calming environment for children and their families is being created, and when it fully opens the new PAU will feature child-friendly woodland artwork across its four assessment bays and a dedicated treatment room.
Lucy Thomas-Clayton, Director of Charities and Voluntary Services at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We asked the children who use the services what kind of designs they’d like to see in our paediatric areas. We listened to what they said and I’m so pleased that, thanks to the generosity of our supporters, we’ve been able to create a bright, welcoming space for children and their families during what can be an anxious time.”