Investment in acute hospitals to improve access to urgent and emergency care

News from our partners at The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust:

A significant investment in Shropshire’s two acute hospitals will improve access to urgent and emergency care and ensure patients are getting the right care in the right place.

The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust is creating additional inpatient beds and assessment spaces at Princess Royal Hospital (PRH) in Telford and Royal Shrewsbury Hospital (RSH). These will be ready this winter and include:

• Expanding acute assessment and same day emergency care at PRH – creating a further 40 assessment spaces
• A new Frailty Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) unit at PRH which will support care for more vulnerable, frail patients
• Two new modular wards which are currently being constructed at RSH - creating 56 additional inpatient beds

Dr Saskia Jones-Perrott, Divisional Medical Director for Medicine and Emergency Care, said: “We want every patient who uses our urgent and emergency care services to have the best care and experience.

“This winter we are introducing additional beds and assessment areas at both hospitals which will help to reduce waiting times for admissions into hospital and improve access to emergency care.

“Expanding same day emergency care, including a frailty SDEC unit, will increase the number of patients who can be assessed and treated on the day of their arrival, reducing waits or the need for a hospital admission. We know this is much better for our patients, particularly those who are frail and more vulnerable.

“We are making steady progress and know that we have more to do, and we hope this investment will accelerate the improvements we are making.”

Ned Hobbs, Chief Operating Officer, said: “This investment represents a significant step in our efforts to make sure our urgent and emergency care patients receive the right care, in the right place, at the right time.

“We know that one of our biggest challenges is ensuring that every patient has access to timely urgent and emergency care, whether they walk in or arrive by ambulance – we recognise that too many of our patients currently wait too long. We expect our patients to begin to see the positive impact of these changes this winter and beyond.

“We are also continuing to work with our health and care partners to further improve access to urgent care, support safe and timely discharges from hospital and deliver more care in the community. This will further reduce waits for ambulances and hospital admissions and provide a better experience for our patients.

“I would like to thank our staff who are working incredibly hard to ensure these new facilities are in place this winter to benefit our patients.”

The increase in assessment spaces at PRH has been enabled by the reconfiguration of current wards, including re-using the former rehabilitation and recovery ward on Ward 36.

Lorna Clarson, Chief Medical Officer for the NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, said: “Improving urgent and emergency care is a priority for all of us across the health and care system. This investment in our acute hospitals demonstrates our commitment to investing in the future of local services and ensuring patients are seen quickly, safely and in the most appropriate setting.

“Partnership working is essential, and by collaborating across the NHS and with local care partners, we can continue to make meaningful improvements for our communities.”