£200,000 revamp boost for patients at South Tyneside District Hospital emergency unit

Department manager Julie Russell, Trust chief executive, Ken Bremner, and emergency medicine consultant, Sanjay Kumar, in one of the new rooms.

Emergency care staff at South Tyneside District Hospital have started treating patients in a new state-of-the-art resuscitation area.

A major investment in the hospital’s emergency department has seen the unit completely overhauled to provide a modern ‘fit-for-purpose’ area for patients who are most critically ill.

The facility includes five single resuscitation rooms to provide more privacy for patients when they are at their most vulnerable.

Previously, the area was an open space where beds were separated by curtains and the new set-up includes individual patient rooms providing improved

infection control.

Each patient has their own room, each including one extended area which will be used to treat cardiac or trauma patients.

Each room also has ‘smart glass’ technology, allowing staff to observe patients and the ability to frost the glass to protect privacy at the flick of a

switch.

With each patient having their own room, with plenty of space for staff to work, hospital staff say it will provide a much better experience for those being looked after and their loved ones.

The new area is also fully integrated with South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust’s electronic patient record – meaning all clinical staff have

access to live, up-to-date patient information at the touch of a button.

The team in South Tyneside can also link up live by video to colleagues at Sunderland Royal Hospital to support the assessment of patients as required.

Consultant and clinical lead for emergency medicine Dr Sanjay Kumar said: “These rooms are so much nicer for patients and for us too.

“Our management have been so supportive of this work which will make such a difference for patients and staff.”

The completion of the £200,000 project marks the latest investment by healthcare leaders in South Tyneside District Hospital.

Work is continuing to create a new £3m Critical Care Unit on the ground floor of the hospital which is set to open soon.

The hospital’s £10m Integrated Diagnostic Centre is also due to open early next year – bringing cancer diagnosing PET-CT scans to South

Tyneside permanently, in addition to MRI and CT scanners.

A new £2m endoscopy unit and £800,000 pharmacy were also opened at the hospital last year.