Chesterfield Royal Hospital reveals multi-million pound development to ‘transform’ care

A multi-million pound development at Chesterfield Royal Hospital promises to transform the face of emergency and urgent care for more than 420,000 people who live in north Derbyshire.
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The ambitious scheme – which is expected to cost around £26million – will create a new urgent and emergency care department at the front of the hospital site where an existing staff car park is sited.

With enabling works due to start immediately, the build itself will get off the ground in early summer – and doors are expected to open to patients at the beginning of 2023.

Chesterfield Royal Hospital.Chesterfield Royal Hospital.
Chesterfield Royal Hospital.
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The desire to reinvent emergency services at the Royal has long been under debate.

In 2019, after years of discussion with NHS bodies, staff, patients and the public, agreement was initially reached on a way forward that effectively re-designed the existing emergency department and its adjacent areas to the tune of around £19m.

This four to five-year project would have been carried out in a number of complicated stages to fit around the continuation of patient care.

Berenice Groves, deputy chief executive and chief operating officer at the hospital, is leading the revised project and explained the change of plan.

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She said: “The Covid-19 pandemic stopped our original proposal in its tracks, but it’s given us an opportunity to step back and re-examine this important development – to make sure we really have got it right.

“In the space of a year, like other hospitals across the country, we have had to work smarter.

“The pandemic has hastened improvements to our care processes and pathways and it’s become clear, over the last few months, that a new urgent and emergency care department build, outside the confines of the existing available space, offers a better solution in a shorter time-frame.

“While on paper it might add up to a bigger financial commitment, the additional investment enables an even better environment for our patients to receive the care they need and more improvements to the workplace for our staff.

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“Crucially, it future-proofs emergency and urgent care for everyone and provides much-needed sustainability.”

Dr Katherine Lendrum, consultant in emergency care added: “This will make such a difference and the team is incredibly excited to see the revised plans unfold.

“It’s absolutely the right decision for our patients and our staff.

“ We have an opportunity to apply what we’ve learned throughout the pandemic, to cement the partnerships we’ve developed and to strengthen new ways of working that ensure our patients’ experience is a good one.

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“Whatever level of care you need you will immediately be in the right place when you arrive at the door.

“Then it’s our job to assess you and make sure you see the right expert in the right part of our emergency or urgent care department as quickly as possible.

“This could be a GP, advanced nurse practitioner, therapist or consultant, but it will be someone with the skills and expertise that you require.”

A spokesperson for the Royal added: “Over the coming months you’ll be able to share in the new development as it gets underway through a series of online events that build on our previous engagement and involvement.”

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