Expanded emergency department opens doors to patients

The first patients have been admitted to a brand new urgent and emergency care department at the Great Western Hospital in Swindon, following its opening on Wednesday 18 September.

The £33.5 million urgent and emergency care expansion is the biggest ever investment on the GWH site, and comes after the opening of a new Urgent Treatment Centre and the OUH Radiotherapy @ Swindon Centre in 2022.

With a 60 per cent bigger footprint, the new department and the accompanying Children’s Emergency Unit will ensure unplanned healthcare provision is fit for the increasing demand and growing population of the town.

Since £26.3 million of government funding was secured in January last year, building work has been happening at pace. 

Completion of the build was celebrated at an event in July, when hospital teams were joined by local Paralympian Louise Hunt, who cut the commemorative ribbon.

Following some final remedial works, the new ED opened to the public earlier this month, with all ambulances now handing over patients to the new department. 

Natalie Lawrence, Lead Nurse, said: “It’s a really exciting time for the organisation, as we move towards a real improvement in our delivery of care for some of the sickest patients in the local area.

“We have made big changes to the way we provide this care, and are now looking at how we can better streamline services to make them more efficient, and to ensure that patients are treated in the right place, first time.”

Find out more online at www.gwh.nhs.uk.