Work begins on next stage of Lincoln A&E upgrade

This will see enabling works take place so that work can begin in spring next year on the new resuscitation zone.

The zone will more than quadruple in size and provide twice as many bays for the sickest emergency patients.

The new area will be built on top of the current ambulance bay at the hospital, meaning that there will be some disruption as a new ambulance bay is created on the edge of the outpatients car park opposite the department.

Patients will still be able to park in the outpatients car park and also the main visitor car park at the hospital, but some of the entrances and exits may change.

United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust Chief Executive, Andrew Morgan, said: “This is a really exciting time and something that we need. This next phase will give us a resuscitation zone that is the right size and environment for our teams to provide the care that is needed for our sickest patients. It will be bigger and have everything you would expect from a state of the art resuscitation area.

“There will be some disruption and I would ask patients and visitors to follow all of the signage and to consider allowing a couple of extra minutes to their journey. We thank everyone for their co-operation and cannot emphasise enough how important this transformation is and how it is going to impact on the care and experience that we will be able to provide to our patients and their families.”

Work is due to start on the enabling works on Monday October 25 and are expected to be completed early in the new year.

The first phase of the transformation saw a £3.5 million new Urgent Treatment Centre built alongside the existing A&E department, which has seen and treated thousands of patients since it opened in May this year.

Future phases will include:

· A new paediatrics area with its own dedicated waiting room, treatment cubicles and a sensory area for the youngest patients and their families.

· Additional treatment rooms for mental health patients.

· A new ambulance drop-off and bays created outside the front of the department with entrances directly into the resuscitation and majors areas.

· Additional clinical space, meaning that the emergency department will be able to accept patients from ambulance crews with improved speed and safety.

Andrew added: “All of these developments will help us to see and treat our patients more quickly and ensure that everyone is getting the level of care that they require. It will also make sure the department is not only fit for today, but also for the future.”