Disruption in Accident and Emergency

25 April 2000

From 1 May patients can expect some disruption when they visit the Accident and Emergency department in the West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds, as modernisation work moves into treatment areas.

The West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust received £600,000 from the Government's modernisation fund. The money is being used to improve the environment and security in A&E for patients and staff, provide a separate area for children and extend treatment areas for better, more efficient patient care.

To date, building work has been taking place behind the scenes, moving offices and the medical records department, to provide a new waiting area which will open on 1 May. This marks the start of phase two when builders will be working on an open plan resuscitation area and increasing the number of treatment rooms.

"Patients will have a taster of the benefits to come as they enjoy the comfort of the new waiting area. Unfortunately before we can appreciate all the benefits of the modernisation work we will have to put up with a period of noise and cramped conditions," said Clinical Manager for A&E Grace Bell.

"We would like to apologise to patients and visitors for any inconvenience this work may cause. We have tried to plan activity so the disruption to patients is kept to a minimum.

"It will all be worth it as the increase in available floor space will allow us to run the department more efficiently and look after patients more effectively in attractive, secure surroundings”, she said.

Phase two involves knocking three rooms into one, open plan area for resuscitation and intermediate care. This will allow doctors and nurses to observe patients better and deliver more effective patient care. Four additional treatment rooms will be created and children will have their own brightly decorated waiting and play area and assessment/treatment room. This should help to make hospital a less frightening place for them. 

In line with the Trust's campaign to stop violence against staff, surveillance equipment is being housed in a room within the new waiting area and all the public areas in the department will be covered by CCTV cameras.

The security room will also act as a base for local policeman PC John Worby, whose beat includes the West Suffolk Hospital and its grounds.

The final stage of the modernisation work involves extending the front porch at the entrance to the department to allow two ambulances to unload patients under cover. Completion of the works is planned for the middle of July 2000.