A NEW facility to support the health and wellbeing of patients has opened at The Princess Alexandra Hospital.

The new Adult Assessment Unit, which opened on Saturday, 16 January, is a two-storey extension adjacent to the emergency department (ED) at the front of the hospital and next to Charnley Ward.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the facility will initially be used as a modern inpatient ward, with an efficient layout and agile use of space to support social distancing. The ward will be for patients who do not have COVID-19.

This follows a number of moves of different specialties around the hospital to ensure that the hospital is providing the right care in the best place.

It will later be brought into use as a dedicated space to see patients for rapid assessment and treatment for a variety of illnesses and injuries, helping patients to avoid unnecessary admission to hospital and ensure a shorter stay for those who are admitted.

This will improve the facilities available for patients ahead of the completion of the new hospital.

Stephanie Lawton, chief operating officer, at The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust, said: “We are dedicated to supporting the health and wellbeing of our patients and enhancing patient flow through the hospital.

“Opening the Adult Assessment Unit is a fantastic milestone in our ongoing work to continually improve patient experience. Initially, the space will provide an additional facility for us to care for patients who do not have COVID-19, releasing capacity across other areas of the hospital.

“Thank you to all of the teams who have been involved in this extremely important project.”