£35 million Ipswich Hospital upgrades to begin
The project to transform urgent and emergency care has been given the green light
Last updated 8th Dec 2020
East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT), which runs Ipswich Hospital, has been granted permission to build a new £35 million urgent treatment centre (UTC) and emergency department (ED).
Approval was given following improvements to transport made by ESNEFT, including eight new drop-off spaces, extra bus stops and crossing points, and widening the bus loop.
According to the trust, work can now begin on the UTC, which will cater for an estimated 50,000 patients every year.
Paul Fenton, Director of Estates and Facilities at ESNEFT, said: "We are delighted to have received the green light from Ipswich Borough Council and look forward to work beginning on this important project, which will transform services for our patients when it opens in 2022.
"The new centre will offer treatment for a range of urgent but not life-threatening conditions, in turn easing pressure on the ED by freeing up staff to focus on providing care for the most critically ill and seriously injured patients.
"It will be built alongside the new ED, which will simplify services by providing a single front door which all urgent and emergency patients will use before they are triaged by our clinical staff and directed to either the UTC or ED, depending on which service will best meet their needs.
"By ensuring that patients are seen by the right team first time, this exciting development will improve their experience of accessing care while reducing the amount of time they need to wait for treatment. At the same time, it will help us to make sure our emergency department remains available to those in the greatest clinical need."