As part of the construction of the new, relocated Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC), essential work has begun at Worthing Hospital, temporarily affecting how patients can access A&E.
The UTC is being built within an expansion of the hospital’s Emergency Department, moving away from its current location opposite the imaging (X-ray) department, and will provide urgent medical help when it’s not a life-threatening emergency.
UTCs provide urgent medical help when it’s not a life-threatening emergency. They can diagnose and treat many of the common problems people go to A&E for.
Whilst this work takes places, we are putting necessary measures in place to facilitate a smooth transition with minimal disruption, to ensure we continue to provide safe emergency and urgent services to those in need, these include:
- The paediatric patient areas will be temporarily relocated but remain within A&E.
- Due to restricted space during the build and to minimise overcrowding, visiting restrictions will be in place whilst this work is happening. From Monday 14 October, all patients will be allowed only one parent, carer, loved one, or friend to accompany them when attending A&E.
- The entrance to A&E will remain the same until the 4 November. After which, a temporary external entrance to A&E will be in place, facing the car park, instead of on the side of the building opposite Costa Coffee. A temporary pedestrian path will also be in place, ensuring safe access for our patients, to and from A&E.
- The patient drop-off car park outside the A&E entrance is now permanently closed for vehicle access. This means the only patient drop-off zone is in the main car entrance drop-off zone (outside of the main hospital reception). Patients should then proceed to use the temporary pedestrian path to access A&E.
While we have taken steps to minimise the impact on this service, please understand that some disruptions may still occur, but our priority continues to be delivering safe emergency and urgent services to our local communities.
The new UTC is set to enhance patient care and staff experience. It will see an estimated 40,000 patients a year and will help ensure people are being treated in the right place, by the right medical professionals, at the right time.
Worthing Hospital Director, Stephen Mardlin, said: “Colleagues are ecstatic that this is happening. We’ll have a slicker, smoother process for patients in a larger emergency department, with a new UTC right at the front door of the hospital.
“This development will free up capacity in the A&E, improve efficiency, improve waiting times, and we’ll be able to see more people, more efficiently.”
Worthing Hospital Nurse Director, Tori Cooper, agreed, saying: “This is going to improve patient care and experience at the front door of the hospital and provide a better environment for our staff to care for patients.”
The expansion of the emergency department is expected to be complete in June 2025.