Work begins on improvements to Poole Hospital’s emergency department

Work begins next week (15 February) on a new resuscitation area for Poole Hospital’s Emergency Department (ED), providing a facility better suited to the care of ill patients with infectious diseases.

The scheme also improves and enhances the department’s ambulatory care area, enabling the team to see and treat patients quicker, and in a more appropriate environment.

As part of the improvements, the current ED reception and waiting area will be demolished to make room for a new 4 bed resus area, all with isolation rooms.  Currently, as most patients are seen in the hospital’s Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC), it is hoped that there will be minimal disruption to patient care during the period.

Other areas to note:

• during the building works there will be no pedestrian access directly into the ED
• ED will still be open for to walk-in patients who will be streamed to the appropriate area via the UTC
• all patients needing to attend the UTC are requested to use the hospitals’ north entrance over this period (the UTC is signposted and can be accessed to the left as you enter)
• ambulance arrivals are unaffected.

Commenting on the changes, Bruce Hopkins, matron, emergency and urgent care, Poole Hospital said:

“We look forward to having the additional facilities this project will provide, which will allow us to see and treat patients quicker, and in a more appropriate environment.

“For the foreseeable future patients needing emergency assistance are encouraged to use alternative options as appropriate, particularly the NHS 111 First service, where they will be given a booked appointment.

“’Walk-ins’ will still be seen, but as there will be disruption and delay during these construction works, all patients should only attend in a genuine emergency.”

Building work starts on 15 February and will continue to early May.