Great Western Hospital is to undergo a major overhaul after receiving the largest amount of investment in its history.

Ambitious plans to revamp the A&E department by providing more space for beds, making the layout more efficient, and bringing all aspects of emergency care together have already got planning permission.

But now these designs will become a reality thanks to £26 million of Government funding.

The 1,492 square metre extension will house the larger department, including a new children’s emergency unit, add same-day emergency care and joint initial assessment unit, and improve links between all sections of the department and the new Urgent Treatment Centre.

The services and care available for walk-ins and patients referred there by GPs will be improved by the construction, while the plan also ensures ambulance parking bays will increase from five to 14.

Swindon Advertiser: A CGI image of what the Great Western Hospital's expanded emergency department will look likeA CGI image of what the Great Western Hospital's expanded emergency department will look like (Image: Swindon Borough Council)

Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust chief executive Kevin McNamara said the investment was an 'extraordinary milestone' for the hospital.

“Expanding and improving our urgent and emergency care services will make a huge difference to the 750,000 people living in Swindon and the wider area, many of whom will come to us for care at some point in their lives.

“I’m pleased that the time has now come for us to be able to expand and streamline our services so that they can meet the demand.

“The new building will also provide a better experience for patients, with more space, modernised facilities and fully inclusive accessibility.”

Swindon Advertiser: The layout of the existing Great Western Hospital emergency departmentThe layout of the existing Great Western Hospital emergency department (Image: Swindon Borough Council)

 

Swindon Advertiser: The layout of Great Western Hospital's emergency department expansionThe layout of Great Western Hospital's emergency department expansion (Image: Swindon Borough Council)

The existing emergency care hub was only designed to care for 48,000 patients a year, but regularly saw more than 80,000 before the Covid pandemic.

The plans described the existing department as operating way beyond capacity and creating significant pressure on staff, calling the extension essential in allowing clinicians to work effectively and efficiently.

It added the after-effects of the pandemic had put further pressure on services because of the need to provide care for patients with acute Covid or long Covid conditions as well as those who had been avoiding treatment because of the pandemic, and subsequently suffering a deterioration in health.

The funding represents the biggest-ever investment to Great Western Hospital’s site and comes on top of £5.4 million of internal funding available to the hospital trust.

North and South Swindon representatives Justin Tomlinson and Robert Buckland said: “We are both delighted that we have secured this important investment in the GWH. We lobbied to deliver this funding and the government has rightly seen how it will transform both emergency care and transitional care in Swindon.

“This new £26 million investment will ensure the patients can get access to the right treatment, in the right place, at the right time.”

Health Minister Lord Markham said: “This is a significant milestone for the people in Swindon.

“The expansion will mean more people can be treated closer to home, improving patient experience and ensuring staff are better equipped to manage increasing demand.

“A single urgent and emergency care unit will be created to enable patients to receive the right care more quickly, boosting health outcomes and reducing the time spent in hospital.

“This is part of our commitment to upgrade hospitals across the country and improve access to emergency care, to provide the best possible services for patients and staff.”

Enabling works have already started to prepare the site for construction.