A MAJOR £1.4 million revamp of the Great Western Hospital’s accident and emergency department will be completed by Christmas – five months ahead of schedule.

The makeover was due to stop over the winter period and resume in May. But the refurbishment, which started in August, has been going so smoothly that hospital chiefs have now decided to press ahead with the work and unveil the new service by the end of December.

The revamp includes the creation of a dedicated children’s unit, as well as a complete redesign of the emergency department.

The bulk of the renovation is already finished and has received the seal of approval from employees.

A GWH NHS Foundation Trust spokesman said: “Things are going so well we’ve decided to continue work throughout the winter months and we now expect work to be complete by Christmas.

“The major construction work is now complete to a very high standard. This includes work on the new children’s unit, the main reception and new nurse/doctor working area. Initial feedback has been very positive; staff and patients have said it looks fresh, modern and welcoming.

“We are confident that the remaining work, which includes decorating and finishing touches, will leave the department looking state-of-the-art.”

The completion date was initially set for late spring.

The new dedicated children’s unit will provide youngsteers with their own waiting and treatment area. This means families will no longer have to sit alongside drunk people on Friday and Saturday nights, in an often cramped waiting room, with harsh lighting and clinical surroundings.

Other improvements include the refurbishment of the adults’ waiting area with new seating, a TV screen and refreshments.

In August, the Adver launched the Making it Better appeal to help the hospital raise £20,000 to make children’s experience in the new emergency department as relaxed as possible. The fundraising campaign sets outs to buy televisions, iPads, toys and a refreshment stand to make them more at ease during a stressful and often upsetting time.

The department cannot afford these items with their NHS budget alone.

In addition to revamping the department, the trust has invested in three extra emergency medicine consultants, bringing the total number to nine and is also looking to recruit more nurses. This will mean that more patients will be treated by senior consultants and patients will be treated more quickly.

The A&E team usually treat around 210 patients a day; however this can increase to as many as 280 Last year more than 77,000 patients visited the emergency department.

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