A multi-million-pound improvement programme to expand the Emergency Department at Worthing Hospital began today (22 November) with a special ground-breaking event.
Urgent and Emergency Care and Capital Development colleagues were joined by invited guests and construction partners Morgan Sindall to celebrate building works getting underway for a new Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC) in West Sussex.
UTCs provide urgent medical help for people when their condition is not life-threatening. They offer appointments via the NHS 111 service and are equipped to investigate, diagnose and treat the most common illnesses people come to A&E for.
Hospital Director Stephen Mardlin said: “We’re delighted to see the construction begin on this £7m expansion of our Emergency Department because it will have such a transformative effect for our patients, A&E colleagues and the rest of the hospital.
“Located right at the front of the hospital, this development will create a new entrance for all urgent walk-in attendances, a larger waiting room, and 12 new consultation rooms and clinical support areas. It also clears the way for us to develop a Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) unit for the first time in the hospital, to be situated where the current UTC is.”
Hospital Director for Nursing, Tori Cooper added: “We’re responding to the needs of our local population and in particular our more elderly and frail patients. Both the UTC and SDEC will enable us to improve care for older people by providing treatment more quickly at the front door of the hospital that will help them to avoid being admitted into the hospital for a ward stay.
“We know people want to stay in their own homes if they can, and all the evidence shows that maintaining people’s independence and providing swift access to medical care in day units is much better for their both their health and wellbeing. These improvements will also enable our emergency and trauma care specialists to focus on the patients who need them most.”
Worthing Hospital Emergency Department is the busiest in West Sussex, seeing around 100,000 people a year. Demand is growing too, by around 5% a year, mostly driven by a rise in the number of people coming to the department by themselves for urgent care. The new UTC will treat at least 40,000 patients a year, who will all use the Emergency Department’s new main entrance, reception and waiting areas.
The development has been designed by Crowther Architects and is being constructed by Morgan Sindall. Guy Hannell, Area Director for Morgan Sindall Construction in the Southern Home Counties, said: “We’re excited to be celebrating the start of work onsite for Worthing Hospital’s new Urgent Treatment Centre, as we know that once complete the centre is going to deliver a wide range of valuable benefits for the hospital’s staff and local community.
“We’ve worked closely with Worthing Hospital to develop a design for the new facility that’s tailored to the site’s needs and to ensure that the construction process is carefully coordinated to minimise disruption to the hospital’s vital daily operations.”
Following a 10-month construction programme and clinical commissioning period, patients should be using the new facility from Autumn 2025. Once open, work will begin on the Same Day Emergency Care unit in the space vacated in the hospital’s East Wing by the current UTC.
West Worthing MP, Dr Beccy Cooper, who attended the ground-breaking event as the Trust’s guest of honour, said: “Such a significant investment in the town’s Emergency Department and creation of a new Urgent Treatment Centre is excellent news for everyone living locally.
“Speaking with staff today, it’s great to hear how excited they are to improve access and facilities for patients. I am delighted to see the works get underway and cannot wait to return next year when the UTC opens to the public.”
The investment in urgent and emergency care at Worthing Hospital is part of a widespread commitment by University Hospitals Sussex to expand and modernise the Trust’s Emergency Departments.
At the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton, phase one of a £50m redevelopment programme has just completed with the opening of a new Surgical Assessment Unit, and a new Same Day Emergency Care unit and Clinical Decision Unit have begun operating this year at St Richard’s Hospital in Chichester and Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath.
Visit our website for more information about urgent and emergency care provided by University Hospitals Sussex.
Caption:
Emergency Medicine Consultant Dr Kate Coates holding the ceremonial spade flanked by Deputy Chief Executive Dr Andy Heeps and Worthing West MP Dr Beccy Cooper