Local MPs Justin Tomlinson & Robert Buckland have visited the site of the new £31 million Emergency Department at the Great Western Hospital which is currently under construction.
This project represents the biggest single ever investment into the Hospital to date - £26 million of which has been provided by the Government, and £5.4 million provided by the Trust.
The expansion of the Emergency Department comes in addition to the new Urgent Treatment Centre and the new Radiotherapy Centre. The new ED will include assessment units and provide a more joined up urgent & emergency care service, which will help to improve capacity throughout the hospital.
The state-of-the-art building will include a new Children’s Emergency Department, links to different departments & the new Urgent Treatment Centre, almost triple the number of ambulance bays, dedicated spaces for those experiencing mental health issues and state of the art technology to improve patient care.
The ED will provide additional capacity and the co-location of services will ensure a more rapid discharge for patients, and quicker handover times for the ambulance, as well as increasing capacity across the hospital.
Justin & Robert also met with the new interim Chief Executive at the hospital, Dr Jon Westbrook, who provided the tour of the site as well as an opportunity for a round table discussion.
Ambitious future expansion plans were also discussed, including the development of a sterile services unit, staff & student accommodation, a rehabilitation facility, and a private patient’s unit; all on land surrounding the hospital.
Justin Tomlinson MP commented, “Robert and I are really pleased to have played our part in lobbying the Government for this significant investment into our hospital. A big thank you to Jon Westbrook, Acting Chief Executive Officer, for meeting with us today and showing us the ongoing projects. These plans will make a real difference to local patients and all of us who use the GWH.”
Robert Buckland MP commented, ““The new A&E Department will also mean a release of more space for other facilities within the hospital site. That's because of Conservative government investment of £26m, which is the biggest single investment in the hospital's history, and it is going to be open later this year. This comes on top of the £18.4m government investment in the new Radiotherapy Centre at the GWH site. I'm proud to have campaigned to make this happen along with Justin Tomlinson MP. Thanks to the Conservative government, GWH is being transformed."
