A massive new expansion to Lincoln County Hospital’s Emergency Department is about to open to treat the sickest emergency patients.
The new 2,000 square metre Resuscitation Department (resus) is the area within the Emergency Department where patients will be taken if they need life-saving treatment immediately.
It contains eight treatment cubicles, all fitted with patient hoists and the latest equipment needed to provide life-saving support for patients.
The cubicles also have adjoining rooms where staff can safely put on any additional protection to care for patients with infectious conditions, such as flu and COVID-19. They can then safely remove any of the masks, aprons and gloves in the same rooms before returning to areas with other patients and staff.
The new Resus Department also includes a central hub for the team looking after patients, containing monitors and other technology.
One of the new innovations is the fact that ambulance crews will bring patients into the department over a weighbridge, which will enable the Resus Team to work out and administer correct levels of medication to patients more quickly.
There is also a dedicated room where loved ones can spend precious time with those who have passed away in the department.
The new department replaces the existing four resus bays in the hospital’s Emergency Department (ED) – doubling the number of cubicles available and with each cubicle over 20% larger than previously.
The new building has been built alongside the current ED, in an area where the old ambulance bays and parking for the Lincolnshire Heart Centre used to be.
It also houses staff rooms, office and training rooms, as well as a plant room to house all of the pipework, infrastructure and air handling units needed for the new department.
Directly outside of the unit are the new ambulance bays for the ED, with entrances directly into the resuscitation and majors areas.
United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust Chief Executive, Andrew Morgan, said: “I am so pleased to be able to say that we now have a Resus Department at Lincoln County Hospital that is the right size and environment for our teams to provide the care that is needed for our sickest patients.
“The resus bays and nurses station alone are more than five times bigger than what the team has been using. We also have the additions of staff rooms, training areas, a family room and all of the state-of-the-art equipment and technology throughout.
“I would like to thank all of our teams, patients and visitors for their co-operation during the disruption caused by the building works. It has enabled us to create a department where we can see and treat our patients quicker and ensure that everyone is getting the level of care that they require. It will also make sure the department is not only fit for today, but also for the future.”
This is the latest phase in the transformation of the Emergency Department at Lincoln County Hospital. The first phase saw a £3.5 million new Urgent Treatment Centre built alongside the existing ED in March 2021.
A new paediatrics area has also been created within the Emergency Department with its own dedicated waiting room and treatment cubicles to care for the youngest patients and their families.
Additional treatment rooms for mental health patients have also been created. Staff are already using new staff areas when they are taking their breaks.
Andrew added: “What we have managed to achieve here has been done during a global pandemic and while we were recovering from an arson attack that caused massive disruption for many months to the department. It has been a huge team effort and our teams have done an amazing job creating a new state-of-the-art department while also continuing to care for our emergency patients.
“I would also like to thank all of our partner organisations, our contractors and our dedicated teams for making this possible. I am so proud of everyone involved and what we have managed to achieve together.”
