£25m A&E plan for Wolverhampton's New Cross Hospital
A new £25 million accident and emergency department is to be built at Wolverhampton's New Cross Hospital, under proposals unveiled today aimed at reducing waiting times for patients.
Hospital bosses want to replace the existing A&E department to cope with rising numbers of patients as part of a wider £60m improvement plan.
The department currently helps around 110,000 people a year but could be expanded under the new plans. The proposals have been announced after the hospital's board was told that 95 per cent target for patients being discharged or admitted within four hours of arriving at A&E was being missed. More ambulances are coming to New Cross because of the overnight closure of Stafford Hospital's A&E.
Chief executive David Loughton told board members at a meeting that the hospital did not have the space within the department – despite a recent £1m upgrade earlier this year.
He said the department saw a seven per cent rise in the number of patients attending A&E this year compared to 2011
The chief executive added that on Sunday the department had an 86 per cent four-hour target but staff did all they could to get ambulances back on the road rather than wait outside with patients.
"To do this however it means that patients have to be put in the corridors," he said. "This is inadequate.
"The department just can't cope with the volume."
Details of the rebuild are still being drawn up but it is proposed it will be built next to the hospital's Heart and Lung Centre.
