Urgent care centre opens as part of £20 million A&E revamp

Astate-of-the-art urgent care centre opens today at St Thomas’ Hospital as part of a £20 million scheme to rebuild the entire emergency department.

The opening of the centre, where patients with less serious conditions are treated, was described as a “major milestone” in the redevelopment.

The A&E department was said to be “creaking at the seams” when the project was announced in 2014.

It was built for 80,000 patients a year before the decision was taken to expand it after visits rose to 140,000.

The department will have a new initial assessment area and entrance opening tomorrow, enabling staff to “stream” patients needing emergency treatment and those with less serious conditions.

A children’s short-stay unit will open in November, while two acute wards which receive patients from A&E will be moved to a new “emergency floor” at ground level for greater efficiency. Construction is due to finish next year.

A hospital spokesman said: “Once the project is complete, St Thomas’ will have arguably the country’s most up-to-date emergency department.”