Acute Medical Unit (AMU) welcomes first patients

Published: 14 December 2022

Today, we’ve welcomed our first patients through the doors of our new Acute Medical Unit (AMU).

Since the official opening ceremony 2 weeks ago, the multi-million-pound AMU has been a hive of activity with final preparations taking place such as staff training and familiarisation of the new unit, deep cleaning and equipment set up.

We have been able to create fabulous new facilities that offer a modern, patient focused environment – it signifies the start of us ‘Building a Brighter Future’ with better buildings for our patients and staff where we can provide not only better care, but the right care, in the right place.

The long awaited project has delivered a brand-new AMU which is split over two levels and will see a wide variety of patients who require varying levels of care. It has 36 assessment spaces and will allow patients to receive timely, high quality care, in the right place. Referrals will be taken from both the emergency department as well as directly from GPs, the community and other specialties.

The unit’s new location is of particular significance as it is located alongside the emergency department. Having these two units located side-by-side will improve the flow of patients across the two departments allowing for more timely patient reviews and an overall enhanced patient experience.

Chairman Sir Richard Ibbotson said: “Without the insight and dedication of our internal departments – from our acute medicine colleagues to our estates teams – none of this would have been possible and it is to them that we owe huge gratitude. Our estates teams in particular have gone above and beyond to make this project what it is today.

“Our building a brighter future programme is about us wanting to make a real difference to how we deliver services with, to, and for our people and our new AMU is a big step towards us achieving that vision.”