Construction on the main phase of Walsall’s new multi-million pound Emergency Department and Acute Medical Unit development will now get under way following the completion of enabling works at the site.
The c£40m development, being delivered by Tilbury Douglas Construction Limited (formerly Interserve Construction), is set to significantly improve our emergency care facilities and capacity. The development includes an Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC); Emergency Department (ED) including Resus and Rapid Assessment and Treatment (RAT) area, and Children’s ED; co-located Paediatric Assessment Unit; Acute Medical Unit and provision for Ambulatory Emergency Care services in a future phase.
It also includes re-configuration of the current Emergency Department footprint, to incorporate improved Ambulatory Emergency Care and Imaging services.
Various specialist facilities are located throughout, such as an isolation room for infectious patients, bariatric provision and digital x-ray rooms. All areas have been designed specifically to enhance clinical staff efficiency, provide improved quality of care, improved patient experience, and a much improved working environment for staff.
Tilbury Douglas Construction Limited and Tilbury Douglas Engineering have been working closely with the specialist healthcare team at BDP to ensure the design principles also offer Walsall Healthcare greater future flexibility, enabling it to increase the capacity of core areas depending on demand.
Built adjacent to the existing Emergency Department provision, the existing building will also be reconfigured and refurbished to provide additional support space.
The trust is preparing itself for a yearly increase in ED attendances of more than 10,000 patients once the Midland Metropolitan Hospital is open in 2022 and the new development is a much-needed improvement on the trust’s current, significantly outdated department.
Russell Caldicott, Executive Director of Finance & Performance and Walsall Healthcare’s Senior Responsible Officer for the development said: “This is fantastic news for patients, staff and visitors. It builds further upon the multi-million pound developments for Integrated Critical Care and the Neonatal Unit, giving the trust the estates infrastructure to cope with future healthcare demands.
“As a local resident, I am delighted that we have been able to secure support from national and local system colleagues for this substantial investment into Urgent and Emergency Care at Walsall.”
Ned Hobbs, Walsall Healthcare’s Chief Operating Officer, said: “A five month programme of enabling work has now been completed during which time we’ve seen the widening of the blue light route for ambulances as well as mine workings carried out and the installation of more than 460 piles to support the steel frame.
“The new ambulance parking area outside the old Emergency Department entrance has also been completed.
“So much has already been achieved but when the main phase gets underway that is when the whole project will suddenly seem much more for those of us who are watching its progress with such excitement. In just over a year’s time we will have a fantastic new addition to Walsall Manor Hospital that will provide a massive improvement to our healthcare services.”
Simon Butler, Managing Director for Tilbury Douglas in the Midlands said: “We’re delighted to start the main phase of this development – which will significantly improve emergency healthcare provision across the trust. This development clearly illustrates our ability to deliver complex projects in the healthcare sector.”
Tilbury Douglas has also assisted the trust this winter with the delivery of an emergency care winter pressures project, delivering four new areas of clinical accommodation with a mix of off-site construction and refurbishment in just 15 weeks.
Artist’s impressions have been provided by BDP.