From today we will be welcoming our first patients to our new £4.4 million Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) and Integrated Acute Assessment (IAA) units at the Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital, Grimsby.
The latest phase in our £65.2 million investment in improving urgent and emergency care across northern Lincolnshire, this new facility will provide us with modern, well-equipped facilities that are purpose-built to meet the needs of our communities for years to come.
Located directly next to our existing Emergency Department, the units are designed to work in harmony with each other, helping to reduce demand and waiting times by making it easier for you to be seen by our expert clinicians.
Medicine Matron, Joanne Forward, said: “What these units will allow us to do is to direct you straight to the best clinician to meet your needs.
“They will be staffed with senior clinicians from a range of disciplines, so instead of going into the Emergency Department and waiting to be admitted to a ward in order to be seen by these clinicians, you can be referred straight to them by your GP, 111, the ambulance service or our community teams. This can also be applied to some patients who come to the Emergency Department and need to see a specialist clinician.
“This means we can start your treatment more quickly and we may not need to admit you into hospital at all – and, if you do need to come into hospital for inpatient care, it’s likely you will be able to go home more quickly.”
Group Chief Executive Officer, Jonathan Lofthouse, added: “I am proud to say that we have some of the best emergency care facilities in the country and the addition of these bespoke new Same Day Emergency Care and Integrated Acute Assessment units will really bring these services into their own.
“Not only do these units look fantastic but, when combined with the new Emergency Departments, these facilities will make a huge difference to our patients. There are more examination rooms and side rooms than we currently have available, and we can be flexible in how we use them, so at times of high demand we have additional space available.
“It’s also important to note that they have all been designed and developed with direct input from our clinical teams, so they have been able to shape how these units will be used to support patient care and ensure the facilities give them what they need.”
Mr Lofthouse added: “I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has been involved in the creation of these new facilities, from the design and build to the myriad of teams involved in getting them ready to welcome our patients. It’s taken a great deal of hard work and dedication.
“I also know that there has been some concern about potential changes being made to healthcare provision in our area and hope that our continued investment in improving not only our urgent and emergency care provision but our diagnostic and inpatient facilities as well, shows our commitment to continuing to provide excellent care to our communities in northern Lincolnshire and Goole.”
