A new Urgent Treatment Centre: Improving and expanding A&E at the Royal Sussex County Hospital

What improvements are being made?

From Monday 20th September, work will start on a new Urgent Treatment Centre in front of A&E at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton. It will help improve services for everyone who comes to the department. The new centre will focus on the care of patients who do not need to stay in hospital. It will increase the capacity in A&E for these patients and allow for better patient flow through all parts of the department. This new centre follows on from the opening of 9 extra cubicles in the main body of A&E to care for patients who are more critically injured or unwell.

A new dedicated vehicle drop off area

As part of the project a new, dedicated patient drop off area has been set close to the department. If you are able to walk, and arrive at A&E in a private vehicle or by taxi, you will be directed to this drop off area. From there a short, clearly marked route will lead to the front door of A&E. If you arrive in a private vehicle or taxi and aren’t able to walk you will be given access to the ambulance area in front of the department.

Building the new Urgent Treatment Centre is vital to improving the service you receive in A&E, but for a while the ambulance area outside the department will be very busy. You can help to reduce congestion there by using the new, dedicated drop off area if you can.

Traffic marshals will be on site 24 hours a day to direct drivers to the correct area. Ambulances will still bring patients to the front of A&E as normal. The route for patients arriving on foot will also be unchanged.

How will I know where to go when the new building is complete?

All patients coming to A&E will use the main entrance of the department as usual. Patients will have an initial assessment in the main A&E building and then be shown to the correct part of the department. Those requiring the Urgent Treatment Centre will be directed to the new building.