A huge expansion and improvement project at a Nottinghamshire hospital will start soon. Work to create a £17.6 million 'Emergency Village' at Bassetlaw Hospital in Worksop is about to commence, with the Department of Health and Social Care approving the business case for the scheme last week.
The current Emergency Department will be expanded using the significant investment, which hospital bosses have said will help provide timely and high-quality care. A new Children’s Assessment Unit will be constructed next to the improved Emergency Department, enabling children to stay at Bassetlaw Hospital for a short stay, including overnight care.
Dr Kirsty Edmondson Jones, director of innovation and infrastructure at Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (DBTH) and the project leader, said: “The development of the Emergency Village at Bassetlaw Hospital is an exciting and crucial step forward for our Trust and the local community. This investment will enable us to enhance and expand our Emergency Department, ensuring timely access to high-quality care for our patients. We are dedicated to creating a modern and patient-centred environment that caters to the needs of all individuals.
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“With the expansion of our Emergency Department, we will be better equipped to provide accessible same-day services and deliver the best care to our patients. The return of 24/7 urgent and emergency paediatric care to Bassetlaw Hospital will also be a tremendous benefit to our local community, ensuring children receive the support they need closer to home often without the necessity of a transferal to Doncaster Royal Infirmary.”
To support the works taking place at Bassetlaw Hospital, a temporary ambulance route to the Emergency Department directly off Blyth Road was created on June 26. Anyone coming to the Emergency Department by car can continue to use the existing Blyth road entrance and park in the new car park on the north side of the hospital, use the Clinical Therapies entrance (during the hours of 5am to 10pm) or walk on the new pedestrian route to the Emergency Department from Blyth Road.
Dr Edmondson Jones added: “Throughout this planned construction, please be assured that our emergency department remains available for patients in a genuine emergency, and patient safety and care remain our priority.
"If you are attending the site whilst these works are carried out, please remember the main entrance remains open, as does the Clinical Therapies and Maternity entrances.” An official ground-breaking ceremony will take place on Thursday, July 13.
