Investing in Urgent Care
Work to improve the Urgent and Emergency Care services at Hinchingbrooke Hospital was completed in April 2021, following a £2.75m redevelopment of the facilities.
The project, which started in 2018, has resulted in the creation of a brand new Ambulatory Care Unit, a brand new Children and Young People’s Emergency Department, an increase in rooms in the Emergency Department, separate purpose-built mental health rooms for adults and young people and a new purpose-built Ambulance Assessment Area.
- The Ambulance Assessment area has created a space where paramedics can hand over patients to hospital staff quickly, reducing delays and start treatment earlier.
- The Ambulatory Care Unit (ACU) is a central point for patients who have been referred to hospital by their GP for treatment, but who don’t require admission.
- The two mental health rooms provide a safe space for adults and children who require emergency assistance and support.
- The paediatric and young people’s area provides an enclosed area for children requiring emergency care.
Dr Pallav Bhatnagar, Lead Consultant for the Emergency Department at Hinchingbrooke Hospital, said: “The redevelopment of our Emergency Department and Urgent Care services is fantastic news for our population. It has given us additional space to work with. Now we can see more patients, more quickly and give them a better patient experience.”
The Urgent and Emergency Care team has recently appointed more nurses and doctors and assigned new roles of Physician Associates and Advanced Care Practitioners. These roles mean that some of the nursing and paramedic colleagues can now gain new qualifications, build on their experience and have an option of becoming clinicians. They play an important part in the delivery of care and can relieve some of the pressures on the doctors as well as opening the door to new careers.
