COMEDIAN Jo Brand was in the North East to open a hospital’s new multi-million pound emergency care centre that is set to significantly enhance patient care.
The former psychiatric nurse was invited to South Tyneside District Hospital by South Shields MP David Miliband.
The new emergency care centre has been developed at a cost of £8m and has taken two years to build.
It includes facilities for adults and children together with specialist areas for major and minor injuries and an emergency assessment unit.
Speaking at the official opening yesterday, Ms Brand said: “I am really pleased to be here. I am a massive supporter of the NHS.
“I was a nurse for 10 years and I was working in a 24-hour walk-in psychiatric clinic in South London, so I know what a fantastic job NHS staff do. It’s good to see health services opening rather than shutting.”
It is anticipated hundreds of patients will use the hospital service each day and more than 35 members of staff will work at the premises, which is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The new centre will provide modern facilities and it is the first time the hospital has had the ability to treat child emergency cases in a separate environment to that of adult patients.
Youngsters will be looked after from arrival by an expert children’s team in an area with five specialist assessment rooms, three beds, a specialist paediatric resuscitation area and a laboratory housing a top of the range microscope.
Mr Miliband said: “The emergency care centre is a fantastic, enviable facility, which is a real asset in terms of the healthcare of our community.
“People in South Tyneside are incredibly passionate about this hospital. The hospital is moving on all the time and it is leading the way in district hospitals.
“This new facility is a tribute to the staff on the frontline who are working day in, day out to give patients the best care possible. It is a wonderful centre and the community can be proud of the service and the benefits it offers.”
The first stage of the development opened to the public in December 2010 and includes 10 assessment rooms for adult patients arriving as emergencies.
Next door a specialist expert paediatric team receive children with emergency needs.
An emergency admissions unit and a major injuries department opened to patients in November last year, following the completion of the second stage of the work. This is where patients who need to be evaluated over a longer period to time and who may also require later admission undergo tests and await results.
Once assessment is complete, and if admission is required, adult patients are directed to the most appropriate ward for their needs and children to the children's ward.
Lorraine Lambert, chief executive of South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are very proud of our new emergency care centre and delighted that Jo Brand and David Miliband supported the public launch of this excellent service.
“Bringing all of our emergency care facilities together and integrating them allows real improvements in the delivery of care to our patients”.
