Work on Walsall’s multi-million pound Urgent and Emergency Care Centre is now entering the final six months of the project and is well on track for an autumn completion date.

Excited staff who will be working in the massively improved new building have been enjoying tours of their future work environment and have been really impressed at the sheer amount of space that is being created.

The c£40m development, being delivered by Tilbury Douglas Construction Limited, will significantly improve Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust’s emergency care facilities and capacity. It  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.

Russell Caldicott, Executive Director of Finance & Performance and Walsall Healthcare’s Senior Responsible Officer for the development said: “We are edging ever closer to the completion of this substantial investment at Walsall and anyone who has been in the vicinity of our Emergency Department recently can’t fail to be impressed at just how well it is now taking shape.

“Tilbury Douglas advises that all the plant (such as Air Handling Units) that is being housed on the building’s roof is now in place and the floor modules are currently being installed. The ground floor Majors area where our patients with the most serious injuries will be treated is progressing well and the first floor four bedded Acute Medical Unit bays have had their plaster work completed.

“The next six months, taking us into autumn, are really putting us on the home straight to being able to provide the first class healthcare provision that our patients and families deserve and a state-of-the-art workplace for our committed staff.”

Richard Myatt, Contracts Manager, Tilbury Douglas, added: “We are very pleased with how the project is progressing, and it’s been great to have the clinical teams visiting site in recent weeks to get a feeling for what the new facility will be like. Our design and delivery team have worked collaboratively with the team at Walsall Manor since the early stages to progress with a building that supports clinical excellence.”