Biggest ever investment in Swindon's Great Western Hospital
A £26m extension to the emergency department is to be built.
A £26m extension to Great Western Hospital's emergency department is to be built.
The government money is the biggest ever investment to the hospital site - and will pay for more beds and quicker movement of patients through the hospital.
Around 83,000 patients a year now attend A&E at the hospital - up from 48,000 when it was first built 20 years ago.
Sir Robert Buckland MP and Justin Tomlinson MP said: “We are both delighted that we have secured this important investment in the GWH. We lobbied to deliver this funding and the Government has rightly seen how it will transform both emergency care and transitional care in Swindon.
“This new £26 million investment will ensure the patients can get access to the right treatment, in the right place, at the right time.”
Health Minister Lord Markham said: “This is a significant milestone for the 750,000 people in Swindon and the surrounding areas – the expansion of the urgent and emergency care facilities at the Great Western Hospital will mean more people can be treated closer to home, improving patient experience and ensuring staff are better equipped to manage increasing demand.
“Backed by over £26 million of government funding – the biggest ever investment in this site – a single urgent and emergency care unit will be created, combining a number of different services under one roof to enable patients to receive the right care more quickly, boosting health outcomes and reducing the time spent in hospital.
“This is part of our commitment to upgrade hospitals across the country and improve access to emergency care, to provide the best possible services for patients and staff.”
Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Chief Executive Kevin McNamara said: “This is an extraordinary milestone for the organisation and is the biggest investment we have made to the hospital site since it opened 20 years ago.
“Expanding and improving our urgent and emergency care services will make a huge difference to the 750,000 people living in Swindon and the wider area, many of whom will come to us for care at some point in their lives
“When the hospital was first built, the Emergency Department was designed to care for around 48,000 patients a year. As the local population has grown, the department is now seeing up to 83,000 patients a year – nearly double.
“We knew that this was not sustainable, and I’m pleased that the time has now come for us to be able to expand and streamline our services so that they can meet the demand.
“The new building will also provide a better experience for patients, with more space, modernised facilities and fully inclusive accessibility.”