An extension to Milton Keynes Hospital’s A&E department has been given the green light.
Costing £14m, the unit, which is yet to be named, will be a 28-bed short-stay 72-hour ward.
The extension will:
• Provide a purpose-built facility where a multi-disciplinary team of clinicians can provide urgent care built which will be around the needs of the patient
• Help to reduce the number of people attending A&E, by reducing pressure and waiting times
Additionally, the new ward will also see a decrease of people being admitted to hospital in the long term, as the extension is planned to help patients return home at the earliest possible point.
The reason for this is to free up beds for incoming patients.
READ MORE: 'We look forward to welcoming you to our family' - New nursery to open in village
The new unit will also provide help to those with mental health and social care needs.
Professor Joe Harrison, chief executive of Milton Keynes University Hospital, said: “This new unit is a really exciting development for our hospital.
“It will help to take pressure off our A&E and the rest of the hospital by providing a purpose-built facility to deliver urgent care.
“The building will contain a short stay ward, where we can look after patients who require overnight care but not a lengthier admission to the main hospital.
“We are planning to give more detailed information to local people in the coming months, and want to ensure that members of the public in Milton Keynes and surrounding areas have an opportunity to share their views on this and other exciting future developments at their hospital."
The building work will be carried out by Galliford Try Building.
Jon Marston, who is the managing director for Galliford Try Building East Midlands, added: “We are delighted that MKUH has entrusted with the construction of this new building which provides a key part of their new masterplan.
“We look forward to working with them to deliver the high-quality facilities that their patients and the people of the region deserve.”
The expansion was planned and commissioned in 2018, and those at the hospital believe they ‘don't anticipate the development works will be affected by Covid-19', as the country continues to battle on through the pandemic.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel