2:00pm Monday 8th June 2009
By Michelle Archard
SOUTHEND Hospital’s A&E department is set to move into a new, purpose-built block.
The unit will include a 27-bed critical care facility providing intensive and high-dependency care.
It will also have a further six wards with 28 beds.
The building will also mean the existing ward areas can be transformed into much-needed office space.
Plans have been in place since 2004 to transfer the current Accident and Emergency department.
A report to hospital board governors had previously raised the issue of cramped office conditions for staff, particularly in cardiology.
It stated: “During a recent tour of the cardiology department by governors, staff appeared to be working in cupboard-sized offices. In the opinion of the governors, they need more space.”
Hospital spokeswoman Pat Stone said: “We have recently started planning work to reconfigure our emergency services, which involves relocating emergency admissions to the ground floor of our proposed new ward block.
“We do have severe constraints on administrative accommodation in the hospital.
“However, once the new ward block is built, it will free up areas such as the existing Nightingale wards for office space.”
The new ward block will address issues including the hospital’s own estate strategy, which identified 65 per cent of the site is overcrowded and 14 per cent of the property is in an unsatisfactory condition.
Outline planning permission for the development of the block was given in January 2007.
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