The next phase of a new £2m refurbishment of Bradford Royal Infirmary’s Emergency Department (ED) has opened.
A new reception, patient assessment and waiting areas, alongside a four-bed rapid assessment bay for ambulance admissions, were unveiled today.
Work on the refurbishment project started in November and is being completed in four phases with a current finish date of this autumn.
The renovation project is part of an ambitious vision to create a more efficient acute medicine service for the people of Bradford.
Clinical lead for urgent care, Dr Sue King, said: “The new BRI ED has been designed with both patients and quality at its core and it’s great to see the new internal space opening up.
“All our new interiors are ‘dementia-friendly and the addition of natural daylight into the unit will greatly improve the environment for our staff and hopefully the experience of our patients.
“People will also benefit from our new assessment areas which sit alongside our reception.
The benefits of having an earlier, more comprehensive assessment where everyone works together, from the senior medic to the ambulance paramedics and our triage team, should provide a smoother patient journey in the department and onwards into our hospitals. This renovation ensures that we remain at the forefront of emergency medicine practice nationally.”
Numbers using the city’s ED have risen over the years and today, on average, between 370 and 400 people are being treated there daily.
The first phase of the refurbishment project saw the creation of a new administration extension block to the area between ED and the old radiology department building, facing on to Duckworth Lane.
The next phase of the building work will see contractors create a new self-contained Paediatric ED in the area which formerly housed the old reception and patient waiting area.
The new unit is due for completion in November and will contain separate waiting and assessment areas, two new high dependency cubicles and a larger clinical work space.
Builders will also construct a separate waiting area where all patients will go to wait for their results.
Directorate Manager for Urgent Care, Ann Bannister, said: “This is an exciting time for urgent and emergency care as the creation of the new ED will lead to an enhanced experience for patients who need our services at what can be a very traumatic time in their lives.
“This latest section of the project has been the most disruptive part of the build and I would thank everyone – from patients to staff – for their patience.
“I hope they will agree with me when I say that I think we have the start of a fantastic new facility for the people of Bradford.”