Isle of Wight NHS Trust has opened its new children’s emergency department to the public.
The new paediatric emergency department benefits from a new resus and majors area dedicated waiting area and ambulance entrance. This is part of a phased development of work that will create a new emergency floor at St Mary’s Hospital.
New waiting room
The new waiting room has much more natural lighting and is decorated with graphic murals by the same illustrator who has designed the new artwork in the children’s ward – so familiarity is maintained during their stay, should they need to be admitted onto the ward.
The opening marks the end of the first phase of works of the £12.2m new emergency care floor build.
Existing emergency department
The overall programme of work will see the co-location of the Island’s existing emergency department, urgent treatment centre and short stay facilities.
The full benefits of the new paediatric area will not be fully realised until the Trust complete the remaining phases of the new emergency floor.
Smyth: An exciting first step
Chief Officer, Joe Smyth said,
“The improvements to our emergency care floor will mean patients will have a much better experience. This is an exciting first step and patients will see a number of benefits.
“However, the remaining phases of work will bring some operational difficulties as the main department will at times be reduced to facilitate the development of more integrated emergency services at the front of the hospital.
“We would like to thank our island community for their patience as our multi-million investment programme continues.”
Children and young people and their parents or guardian will need to use the new emergency department entrance if they are visiting the children’s emergency department. Adults will need to continue to access the emergency department and urgent treatment centre through the urgent treatment centre reception.
News shared by Isle of Wight NHS Trust, in their own words. Ed
