Local MP Alan Mak has received the first tour of the new £65m Emergency Department at QA Hospital ahead of its official opening later this month.
He was shown around the new building in Cosham, which features state-of-the-art equipment and increased patient capacity, by Mark Orchard, Deputy Chief Executive of Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, and consultant Kate Hardy.
Mr Mak played a key role in securing £58m funding from the previous Conservative Government for the new Emergency Department. The extra £7m has come from the Trust.
He also helped to launch the new building’s construction in March 2023 alongside QA’s Chief Executive Penny Emerit and has maintained a keen interest in the project as it has progressed.
Some of the new Emergency Department features include:
- A resuscitation room with double the capacity of the previous one, for patients needing treatment for critical conditions
- Paediatric resuscitation bays for children and increased privacy for patients with treatment in single bay rooms
- Faster access to radiology and diagnostic teams for scans and tests, plus 2 new CT scanners
- A new ambulance drop-off zone for patients, improving the flow of patients and reducing the time they are waiting outside in ambulances
- Dedicated rest areas for staff
It has been built on the site of a former car park and is a major addition to the QA, which serves residents from all parts of the Havant Constituency and the wider south Hampshire.
Mr Mak said: "Having successfully campaigned in Westminster to secure funding from the last Conservative Government for the new Emergency Department, it was great to be given the first tour and see the fantastic new facilities.
"This is the newest, most modern Emergency Department in the country and will enable QA to provide improved emergency care for patients and reduce the time they spend there.
"Ambulances will also have a faster turnaround, getting them back on the road more quickly to answer calls."
He added: "The hospital team are rightly very proud of this new building and I look forward to it opening later this month."
