New £24.86 Acute Assessment Units (AAU) will be created at our hospitals in Grimsby and Scunthorpe following final approval of our ambitious plans to transform emergency care in our area.
The units – which will be housed in what are now our Emergency Departments – will also house provision for Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) and are a key element of our ongoing investment in our sites.
And this next phase of central government funding is now being released following approval from the Department of Health.
Divisional Medical Director of Medicine, Dr Anwer Qureshi, has been instrumental in designing not only the new units and facilities themselves but, with his team, has also defined the clinical pathways which determined how the facilities are designed to provide you and your loved ones with best possible care.
He said: “We have already made significant progress on constructing the new Emergency Departments, which will be used to provide care to you if you are seriously injured or ill. These facilities will also be hosting our Urgent care services- where you will be managed by our skilled practitioners for an urgent but non-life threatening injury or illness”.
“Having this final phase of funding approved will allow us to complement these units with our Acute Assessment units and short stay wards, all on one floor”.
“These AAUs will be staffed by expert clinicians trained in a wide variety of skills. This will allow us to see and diagnose you more quickly and get you on the right course of treatment, without necessarily having to admit you to a ward in the first instance.
“As a result, it’s less likely that clinically stable patients will need to be admitted and, if you are, you will probably spend less time in hospital.”
“It is a joint effort for which I am grateful to the ED, Acute Medicine, Surgical specialties and Family Services teams at NLaG. Together, we have already updated and implemented processes and pathways based on best practice, which will swiftly move us into the use of the new facilities when available, setting an example in the region”.
Mike Simpson, our Programme Director and Associate Director of Strategic Development, added: “These plans have been almost three years in the making and I am delighted that they have now been given the final seal of approval.
“These new units will make a huge difference to the communities of Northern Lincolnshire and our staff.
“Construction will begin once our new Emergency Departments have been completed and the teams move out of the current ED space.
“It was hugely important to me that frontline clinical staff were involved in the development of our plans from the very start of the process, to ensure that what we build provides them with the right set of facilities and equipment they need to meet the increasing demand they face and give you excellent standards of care.
“Clinical staff will continue to be involved throughout the construction of the facilities, advising on everything from the layout detail whilst they are being built, to the décor, equipment and fixtures – ensuring every choice is made with your needs in mind.”
Our frontline team are also excited about the opportunities for career development and recruitment the new facilities will bring.
The team said: “The new department will bring new recruitment opportunities as we are now offering an attractive place to work, with investment in staff development and training.
“There will be excellent career development pathways for all staff, as well as new equipment, technology and digital improvements.
“The new department will also provide a great learning environment for student nurses, doctors and newly qualified nurses, developing and retaining workforce for the future”