Fylde coast patients are set to benefit from a major investment at Blackpool Victoria Hospital’s Emergency Department.



Work is underway to transform the Emergency Department at the hospital after the Fylde coast health economy received more than £1M from NHS England recently.

The money was secured to support a number of new developments that will help improve services for patients at the hospital by providing more purpose-built rooms and space to treat them more appropriately.

The building work will include:

The development of enhanced urgent care facilities to accommodate minor injury patients
A redesign of the “majors” area of the department to create more viewable cubicles to keep a closer eye on the sickest patients,
A mental health area to stream patients from the Emergency Department
A larger and more private area for ambulance handovers
The development of an Initial assessment area to ensure patients can be seen within 15 minutes and receive critical care as soon as possible
A relocation of paediatric services
The development of a discharge lounge.


Pat Oliver, Director of Operations for the Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Like most health economies we have experienced pressures across the system and struggled to achieve the four hour target recently.

“The pressures have highlighted a number of areas where service improvement is essential to provide high quality patient care to all patients.

“We have experienced delays in patient care and we want to improve the privacy and dignity of care in the area but we are hindered as some parts of the current facility are outdated and in need of modernisation.

“An increase in the transfer of minor injuries will immediately result in a reduction in time to be seen for this group of patients as they will no longer be competing with the ‘major’ patients who require immediate attention from the Emergency Department specialist. This will enable specialist to focus on the acutely unwell first and achieve the quality and performance standards we aspire to.’’

The development will:

Improve delivery of the Emergency Department Quality Standards in particular the time to initial assessment, time to be seen and the four hour standard
Improve patient and staff experience with the developments recommended by clinicians across urgent and emergency care services that will enhance urgent care facilities and privacy and dignity.
Improve patient outcomes.
Prof Mark O’Donnell, Medical Director at the Trust added: “The aim of these changes is to make significant improvements in the quality and performance of the care we give through a modernisation of the Urgent Care facilities.

“This is an exciting but challenging transformation programme which will enhance the patient experience by ensuring they are seen in a timely manner in the most appropriate setting.’’