Emergency Village and Critical Care Development news

Latest news, Tuesday 5 April, 2022

The latest update from construction partners IHP (project managed by Atlas BFW Management): Last week’s progress to the #BTHEVandCC Emergency Village and Critical Care Scheme build included:

Works to levels 1 and 2, this includes Mechanical and Electrical First Fix and Wiring, Partition Second Fix and Spray Plastering.

In addition to this, work to the Roofing and Plantroom continued and is showing outstanding levels of progress. This included works to the Roof Coverings, Mechanical and Electrical First and Second Fix Install and Roof upstand install to the existing phase 5 plant chiller deck.

Works also continued to the brick installation to the West Elevation.

Pictured below is the Spray plastering on level 1.

Latest news, Tuesday 30 November, 2021

The latest update from construction partners IHP (project managed by Atlas BFW Management): The roofing works are now well underway and today’s crane has been assisting with the installation of the new plantroom roof.

Notice of works outside Blackpool Victoria Hospitals’ Emergency Department

As part of the Emergency Village scheme, a project managed by Atlas BFW Management on behalf of its client, Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, the contractors IHP will be undertaking remedial and refurbishment works to the external area at the front of Blackpool Victoria Hospital’s Emergency Department (ED) and the Minors ramp. These works will commence on Thursday 2 December 2021 and are planned to complete in the early new year.

During the duration of the works the areas affected will be fenced off and access for pedestrians, as it currently is, will be restricted and diversions will be in place.

The contractors will ensure that vehicle access for the Trust and Emergency Village site deliveries are available at all times. There should be no disruption caused for vehicle access, including ambulances arriving to the ED.

Once complete these works will ensure that the ramp and footpath provision for pedestrians and wheelchair use are significantly improved.

Latest news, Friday 26 November, 2021

The #BTHEVandCC Emergency Village and Critical Care scheme build continues. This week’s build update from our construction partners, Integrated Health Projects (IHP) sees fire protection works to the steel frame continuing and roofing works starting.

Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) Summit

The SDEC Summit was attended by colleagues from around the Trust plus the national teams from NHS England and Improvement

The Emergency Village team held a summit this week to discuss a variety of topics ahead of the new Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) currently being built and due to open in August 2022.

Held at the Village Hotel, guests and speakers came from across the Trust and across the country with the NHS England and NHS Improvement national SDEC team inputting regularly to the proceedings.

Same Day Emergency Care is being rolled out nationally. Under the NHS Long Term Plan, all hospitals with a Type 1 Emergency Department like Blackpool Victoria Hospital, will provide Same Day Emergency Care for medical and surgical patients it is proposed at Blackpool Victoria Hospital it will be a 24/7 service.

Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust will meet this requirement in a phased manner with a programme of Phase 1 works that began in September 2021.

There is currently an interim medical SDEC in modular building at the Whinpark 2 car park with the interim surgical SDEC in Ward 18. These arrangements which will stay in place until the Critical Care building, which is currently under construction, is ready for operation in August 2022. It will then become a medical and surgical Same Day Emergency Care and will operate with a new combined SDEC.

The day was opened by Medical Director, Dr Jim Gardner, who commented that the summit was being held to empower everyone in the room and how amazing it is to think of what the Trust are going to create in the space.

CEO Trish Armstrong-Child welcomes attendees to the SDEC Summit

Chief Executive, Trish Armstrong-Child recounted that when she was looking at the CEO job at Blackpool, the fact that they were in the middle of a 25m build of an Emergency Village really excited her. She said: “(the Summit) is about opportunity for us to think a bit deeper than just a building.”

Lynda Brazier, Interim Head of Hospitals introduced the national direction of SDEC by explaining her team’s role responsible for helping improve care for patients and provide leadership and support to the wider NHS and providers. The Hospitals Programme sits in the Urgent and Emergency Care Directorate is a transformation programme responsible for the delivery of the Same Day Emergency Care including frailty.

Adam Bunning, Acting Deputy Head of Hospitals Programme, posed the question: What is Same Day Emergency Care? He showed a new video explaining the role of SDEC which can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rokhVD_1XSE

Adam highlighted the SDEC clinical definition: ‘Same Day Emergency Care allows specialists, where possible, to care for patients within in the same day of arrival as an alternative to hospital admission, removing delays for patients requiring further investigation and/or treatment.’ Adam also highlighted that the most difficult step to creating a successful SDEC is the systematic shift and how consistent leadership is key.

Emergency Department Clinical Lead for the Emergency Village and Critical Care development, Dr Adeline Israel, described the Blackpool journey so far. Starting in 2018 with a bid to improve emergency care, which was later refined and resulted in another successful bid for government funding which allowed the building work to be brought forward. The Full Business case was granted earlier this year. Despite Covid, the Emergency Village and Critical Care project team delivered a larger waiting room, new minors area and improved reception space in 2021. In partnership with Lancashire and South Cumbria Foundation Trust, a Mental Health Urgent Assessment Centre was also opened this year which streams mental health patients from the Emergency Department (ED).

She said: “From the beginning, we said this would be clinically led because it is about the patients and it’s about the staff. SDEC is a game changer.”

As part of Dr Israel’s presentation, guests also heard from Dr Harriet Preston, a palliative care doctor who described how 95% of patients in their last year of life have visited out of hours care at least once. End of Life patients can avoid ED as they actually do not need to be there and can in fact bypass the department altogether and go straight to the ward. Identifying end of life patients in the ED is the key and if colleagues know they are arriving, even better.

The group then heard from Dr Fiona Wisiniacki, National Clinical Lead, same Day Emergency Care Including Acute Frailty about the principles in designing an acute frailty model, which is part of the Emergency Village plans. This was followed by a brainstorming session in teams of four, on a model for acute frailty.

Lynda Brazier, Interim Head of Hospitals Programme, describes the national direction

Dr Tom Hughes, National Clinical Lead Same Day Emergency Care, spoke about clinical pathways and their need to be simple and their ability to deliver the same level of care across the country. He shared some invaluable insights about admission avoidance and reminded colleagues to treat the patient and not the pathway.

Programme Manager Sade Matakitoga spoke about maximising access into Same Day Emergency Care and highlighted a 10 point plan which is currently happening and is well developed in some areas of the country.

Another crucial part of SDEC is understanding counting and coding SDEC to extract evidence-based data as described by Programme Manager, Sarah Fellows. The need to fully capture data is paramount in order to track progress and adjust systems is necessary.

Colleagues then had the chance to pose questions to the panel made up from members of the Emergency Village team, the team from NHSE/I and Trust executives. We learned from project manager, Clare Boyd, that the build is currently two weeks ahead of schedule.

Divisional Operations Director – Emergency and Medicine, Dr Bethan Graf, described some ways of how a combined SDEC workforce could work. She suggested recruiting International Medical Graduates for this piece of work. Other resources can include Allied Health Professionals.

Following another brainstorm session on the benefits of a combined assessment unit as part of a new model of care and combined workforce model, Lynda Brazier rounded up feedback and explained the next steps for the SDEC programme. The day ended with some final thoughts from Medical Director, Dr Jim Gardner.

The panel from the Emergency Village team and the national teams held a Q&A session with the attendees.

A 3D flythrough of the new SDEC department can be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBLHp8OYF58

Latest news, Friday 19 November, 2021
Here is the latest update from construction partners, Integrated Health Projects (IPH) VINCI Construction UK: The concrete slab pours completed and steel column fire protection works progressed. 
Latest news, Monday 20 September, 2021

Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) opened yesterday from it’s new home in the modular building on Whinpark car park 2, near the Emergency Department.

Under the NHS Long Term Plan, all hospitals with a Type 1 ED will provide Same Day Emergency Care for medical and surgical services for a minimum of 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. BTH will meet this requirement in a phased approach during the next 12 months.

Construction partners IHP’s update: Following a good push by the site team and supply chain over the last few weeks, a major milestone has been achieved on the new Critical Care build. Steel has now arrived on site ahead of programme.

 

Implementing Same Day Emergency Care: The interim moves

Under the NHS Long Term Plan, all hospitals with a Type 1 Emergency Department like Blackpool Victoria Hospital, will provide Same Day Emergency Care for medical and surgical services for a minimum of 12 hours a day, seven days a week, ideally operating during peak demand times.

Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust will meet this requirement in a phased approach during the next 12 months with a programme of works beginning on Monday, 20 September 2021.

The first phase of the move is to relocate existing Ambulatory Emergency Care Service, based in Ward 18, to the modular build on Whinpark 2 car park just outside the Emergency Department.

The medical Same Day Emergency Care service will continue to accept appropriate referrals to the new location via A&E, GPs, NWAS, Urgent Treatment Centres or from the community.

The new unit will operate from 8am to midnight with the last referral being taken up to 9pm. On arrival at the new location, patients will be registered, triaged and have a preliminary assessment by a senior decision maker.

Any treatment, procedures or diagnostics required will be carried out and patients discharged or booked in for a follow up appointment.  The main aim of the new clinical model is to rapidly assess and treat patients in the same day and avoid unnecessary admission and long waits in A&E.

The second phase is to move the Surgical Assessment Unit on Ward 19 to the vacated space on Ward 18.

The Surgical Assessment Unit will continue to operate as  before in its new area initially but there are plans in place to develop a rapid assessment model for more surgical specialities and also trial additional Same Day Emergency Care surgical pathways.

The third phase of these moves is to create a medical Short Stay Unit on the vacated space on Ward 19.

The Short Stay Unit will have 20 beds and will be managed by the Acute Medical team. This unit is being developed to manage those patients who have been assessed and are considered to be acutely unwell but can be managed with a short stay admission of no longer than 72 hours.

These moves are scheduled to happen on the 20 September 2021 and will be for a period of 12 months until the new Critical Care building which is currently being built,  is ready for operation in August 2022 when both Medical and Surgical Same Day Emergency Care will operate with a new combined model of care.

This is an exciting time for the Trust as we prepare to undertake these interim changes in readiness for the new Emergency Village.

Latest building works from building partner, IHP:

Building works continues on the site of the new Critical Care/SDEC building with the piling mat nearing completion. The next step will involve a piling rig.

Blackpool Teaching Hospitals win full business case approval for new Emergency Village

Architect’s plan of the new SDEC (Same Day Emergency Care)

Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre residents are guaranteed to benefit from enhanced emergency and critical care development thanks to agreed funding from NHS England and NHS Improvement.

The Emergency Village and Critical Care development, based at Blackpool Victoria Hospital, will benefit from £13million towards the scheme which will encompass a three storey purpose built unit for critical care and same day emergency care, allowing the current emergency department to expand.

Project lead for the development, Nigel Fort, said: “We are delighted to have the Full Business Case (FBC) accepted by NHS England/Improvement following a culmination of two year’s work.

“The £13million is a considerable investment in improving the emergency and critical care serving Blackpool and the Fylde coast.

“The Trust is already seeing the early benefits to our patients, having brought works forward by two years following a successful bid of more than £2million from the Government’s fund to upgrade facilities for winter 2020. The new emergency department waiting room and minors’ area were opened earlier this year.

“The whole project team are really excited to deliver the rest of the development which includes a three-storey building to house a new critical care floor and a Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) department.”

Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust opened the first phase of the ambitious and innovative new facilities earlier this year and two years ahead of schedule through a successful Government fund bid of £2million. A new waiting room and area for people with minor injuries and illnesses to be treated safely and effectively was opened in January.

Staff in the Emergency Department (ED) are already making full use of the improvements to implement new ways of working and are supporting a high number of patients who need emergency or critical care. This includes using the extra space to deliver quicker and more effective ambulance handovers at a time of incredibly high demand for paramedics.

A separate mental health urgent assessment centre has also been opened next to the emergency department in conjunction with Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust. This enables the mental health liaison team to be nearby and able to offer assessments in a more appropriate setting.

Emergency Department lead for the development, Dr Adeline Israel, said: This is the good news that we have been waiting to hear!

“The opening of the first phase of the Emergency Village has already given us a real boost in terms of safety, comfort and morale and that was just the beginning. With the FBC now being approved, we can keep achieving higher goals as our hopes have an anchor.

“We are dedicated to working harder to ensure that the best possible journey, quality of care and outcomes for our patients are reached through the transformational changes this brings. This sets the ball rolling for exciting milestones to be passed in the near future.

“This is a golden opportunity that we all have, and we need to work together to realise its enormous benefits to our patients. We can thus leave a legacy for our Trust.

“It is our aspiration that it will serve as a model of excellence that others can emulate, and I excitedly look forward it! “

You can follow the progress of the project on  social media; Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BTHEmergencyVillage and Twitter: @BTH_EVandCC.

A 3D flythrough of the new SDEC department can be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBLHp8OYF58

Latest building works from building partner, IHP:

Demolition is now complete and the piling mat formation works are currently ongoing in readiness for the piling to commence in the next few weeks.

 

Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) summit held

Last week, a summit on the Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) department was held on Teams to fully explore the plans and next steps from a variety of different colleagues throughout the Trust. When up and running, many patients will be able to be seen and treated in one day, avoiding a hospital admission.

A new three-storey building is starting to be constructed next to the Emergency Department (ED) which will house SDEC and the Critical Care Units (HDU and ICU combined) Once constructed, the new build will allow ED to expand further and implement new pathways to reduce pressure on ED.

You can view a 3D ‘flythrough’ of the proposed new SDEC department, here: Same Day Emergency Care Flythrough – YouTube

New Blackpool Mental Health Urgent Assessment Centre opens for patients

Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust (LSCFT), in collaboration with Blackpool Teaching Hospitals, has launched a new Mental Health Urgent Assessment Centre (MHUAC) in Blackpool.

The MHUAC officially opened yesterday, 10 May, and is located next to the A&E department at Blackpool Victoria Hospital, where work is underway to create an Emergency Village, enhancing and expanding emergency care.

It has been established as a safe and calm assessment space for service users who are experiencing urgent mental health needs and have no coronavirus symptoms or physical injuries.

The centre has three purpose-built assessment rooms for service users and their carers. With access to highly trained mental health nurses, consultant psychiatrists, support workers, and trainee nursing associates, service users will be assessed, supported and treated as required.

Mental Health Clinical Director for Lancashire and South Cumbria FT, said: “The new facility for assessment of individuals who may present to the Emergency Department will enable us to provide a much more responsive service to our Emergency Department colleagues and of course service users.

“Assessments can take place in an improved environment and support us in discharging service users home.”

Emergency Village and Critical Care development clinical lead for the Emergency Department, Dr Adeline Israel, said: “This new mental health model being developed to provide an alternative pathway for patients accessing emergency departments is a milestone in transforming emergency mental health care.

“It is acknowledged that emergency departments are busy, high stimulus environments and are not the ideal place for patients suffering with mental health difficulties in crisis.

“The proposed joint triage by the Emergency Department and Mental Health teams also supports service users accessing the new unit when they require a safe environment for urgent assessment.

“The MHAU is an ambulant assessment area which provides a calming environment for the assessment and development of treatment plans for more complex service users who are in crisis and are accessing emergency services but have no medical need.

“The reduction in time pressure enables the service user to think through more clearly the nature of their crisis and the sort of help they need to recover, both over the short and long term, and gives clinicians time for more thorough, ongoing assessment.

“The aim is to provide an environment and atmosphere that is conducive to enabling service users to relax, and to provide high quality, thorough assessment, leading to well developed, service user-centered treatment plans. This will enable the service user to both manage their immediate crisis and place them onto a (usually community based) pathway, leading to more robust recovery.

“We are indeed glad for this collaborative initiative with LCFT which is a very positive step towards better care for these patients.”

Blackpool Victoria Hospital’s Emergency Village development has focused on creating a better Emergency Department together with the Critical Care wards, by upgrading facilities, adding capacity and significantly enhancing patient experience across the Fylde coast. Work on the wider development is scheduled to be complete next year.

Work on the next phase of the Emergency Village and Critical Care Development is underway

Emergency Department Lead for the Emergency Village, Dr Adeline Israel, on top of the soon to be demolished building

The next phase of the Emergency Village and Critical Care Development is underway with building works now focussed on the new three storey Critical Care and Same Day Emergency Care unit.

The existing building, which originally housed surgical theatres and latterly offices and medical engineering, is adjacent and to the rear of the Emergency Department. It will be demolished by the end of May to make way for the new construction.

Emergency Department Lead for the Emergency Village and Critical Care Development, Dr Adeline Israel, said: “Today is another milestone in the progress of the Emergency Village journey.

“With the symbolistic strike of the hammer, the old building comes down to pave the foundation for the Same Day Emergency Care Unit and Critical Care Units.

“It also signifies bringing down barriers to progress, change and improvement. Given the need for change and transformation to provide enhanced care and improve patient experience, we are committed to achieving this by providing high quality care through a multi-disciplinary team approach.

“I am indeed honoured to swing the hammer on behalf of all the teams working towards realising this vision.”

Adam Lynch, Senior Construction Manager for construction partner IHP, said: “From June until September, we will be working on the groundworks, with the steel work commencing from early September. We are on programme to complete the new building by July 2022.”

 

Emergency Village and Critical Care improvement plan secures investment for Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre residents
LOCAL residents looking for emergency or critical care may soon find it in a new £25million facility being built at Blackpool Victoria Hospital. And Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust today announced that it has now submitted a full business case, following an approved outline business case, in the hope to receive £13million towards the scheme, which is already years ahead of schedule. The Trust opened the first phase of the ambitious and innovative new facilities on the Whinney Heys Road site in Blackpool in January – with a new waiting room and area for people with minor injuries and illnesses to be treated safely and effectively.
Staff in the Emergency Department (ED) are already making full use of the improvements to implement new ways of working and are supporting a high number of patients who need emergency or critical care. This includes using the extra space to deliver quicker and more effective ambulance handovers at a time of incredibly high demand for paramedics. The outline business case for £13million was approved by NHS Improvement and NHS England, with £2million of funding already allocated by the Government. The next steps of the work include a new triage and reception area which should be open imminently. Work on building a new critical care building behind the current emergency department and urgent care centre is next.
The existing high dependency unit and intensive care units will then move to allow the emergency department to expand with more space for patients and staff. A mental health urgent assessment centre is also being developed within the same area of the hospital in conjunction with Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust. This will enable the mental health liaison team to be nearby and able to offer assessments in a more appropriate setting and should also be up and running in the next few weeks.
Kevin McGee, Chief Executive of Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said “The whole team was delighted with the investment and improvements which would make such a huge difference to local people. He added: “The impact of this new approach to emergency and critical care cannot be underestimated. We’re ahead of schedule and have already opened part of it, which is really supporting improvements each and every day. I’ve no doubt that when finished the quality of care and patient safety will be very high indeed and a leading centre for the North West.
Now we have outline business case approval for the next stage which will upgrade existing facilities in the emergency department and create space to care for more people. It is a huge and significant step which would amount to a £25million investment in health care on the Fylde coast. Thank you to everyone who supported this. I am very proud we’re going to hopefully be able to deliver it for local people.”
ED Clinical Lead for the Emergency Village Dr Adeline Israel, said: “This is the news that we have been waiting to hear for such a long time. The opening of the first phase of the Emergency Village has given us a real boost in terms of safety, comfort and staff morale and that was just the beginning. With the outline business case being approved now, we can keep dreaming bigger and our hopes have an anchor.
“We will work harder to ensure that the best possible journey, quality of care and outcomes for our patients are reached through the transformational changes this will bring. This sets the ball rolling for exciting milestones to be reached in the near future and I excitedly look forward to them.”
You can follow the progress of the project on  social media; Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BTHEmergencyVillage and Twitter: @BTH_EVandCC.
First phase of Blackpool ‘Emergency Village’ opens

BLACKPOOL Victoria Hospital’s Emergency Department (ED) has opened the first phase of its Emergency Village development.

The upgraded, extended and enhanced waiting room and Minors area, which treats non-life threatening emergency illnesses and injuries, was opened by Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s Chief Executive, Kevin McGee and Medical Director, Dr Jim Gardner (video below).

Kevin said: “This is the start of our new Emergency Village development and it is fantastic.

“It is a high quality facility that is a real testament to everybody who has worked on the programme.

“The quality of the development is outstanding and I want to say a big thank you to everyone who has played their part in designing it.

“It will be a fabulous facility for our staff and for all our patients.’’

The work was due to start in 2023 but began two and a half years ahead of schedule thanks to a successful bid for part of a share of £300M allocated across the country by the Government to upgrade facilities ahead of winter.

A fundamental element of the ED redesign has been to open up the waiting area which gives an opportunity to increase the social distancing capability almost five fold leading to a much better experience for patients and visitors.

Dr Gardener opened the new Minors area.

Medical Director, Dr Jim Gardner and ED Lead for the Emergency Village, Dr Adeline Israel, open the Minors area

He said: “I am very honoured to be opening these wonderful new facilities. I am so proud that even through the most awful Covid-19 pandemic, we have managed to continue the on-going modernisation of our facilities and our services. This is great testament to all involved.

“The opening today represents just one step along our journey of modernisation. I hope everyone appreciates the work that has gone in to making this happen and I look forward to future openings as our schemes develop.”

Blackpool Victoria Hospital’s Emergency Village development aims to enhance the Emergency Department and Critical Care wards by upgrading facilities, adding capacity and significantly enhancing patient experience.

Emergency Department Lead for the Emergency Village, Dr Adeline Israel, said: “I am absolutely delighted to see our vision become reality today. This is the result of months of dedicated hard work by an excellent team.

“The waiting area as planned is now spacious, Covid compliant and well supervised ensuring patient safety. Furthermore, its splendid design bearing the colour of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine has exposure to natural sunlight and provides a calm, welcoming and therapeutic environment in an otherwise stressful situation.

“The Minors has been meticulously designed and has the essential equipment to treat minor injuries and illness. The outstanding feature of this area is its flexibility. It has the capability to be an isolation zone for Covid patients with direct access to them without compromising the safety of other patients in the department.

One of the new Minors bays

“It is a proud moment for everyone involved in reaching this milestone of the Emergency Village. I look forward to achieving many more such milestones towards the completion of this life-saving project. My sincere thanks to each and every person who made this happen.”

The Trust is looking to receive close to £13M to develop an ‘Emergency Village’ as part of a national fund to upgrade NHS Services in England, subject to successful approval of the full business case.

Work on the wider development is scheduled to begin in in the coming months.

The construction partner for the scheme is Integrated Health Projects (IHP), a joint venture between VINCI Construction UK and Sir Robert McAlpine.

You can view the opening of the new waiting room and Minors area here:

Opening of the new waiting room and Minors area – YouTube

The 3D ‘fly through’ of the proposed new Emergency Department, can be viewed at https://youtu.be/RaoJeFwbkB8

You can also follow the progress of the project  at: https://www.facebook.com/BTHEmergencyVillage and Twitter: @BTH_E_Village.

The new ED waiting area

 

 

 

Work starts on new Mental Health Urgent Assessment Centre as part of Emergency Village plans
Plans to enhance and expand Blackpool’s emergency care departments in a new ‘Emergency Village’ have moved onto the next phase of construction in collaboration with Lancashire and South Cumbria Foundation Trust.
Lancashire and South Cumbria Foundation Trust have submitted a business case to access approximately £8.1m of national funding.. This is to improve the service offering, enhance rehabilitation provision and to also support people with urgent mental health needs.
The work has begun on the new Mental Health Urgent Assessment Centre, adjacent to Blackpool Victoria Hospital’s Emergency Department. This is a dedicated facility to support people with urgent mental health needs presenting in A&E in order to ensure the right care is given at the right time, by the right people, in the right place.
Mental Health Clinical Director for Lancashire and South Cumbria FT, said: “The new facility for assessment of individuals who may present to the Emergency Department will enable us to provide a much more responsive service to our Emergency Department colleagues and of course service users. “Assessments can take place in an improved environment and support us in discharging service users home.”
Following extensive consultation with staff, patient panels and external agencies, the project’s Programme Board has now finalised its plans and submitted the outline business case for a further £13m in capital funding from NHS Improvement to develop an ‘Emergency Village’ at Blackpool Victoria Hospital as part of a fund to upgrade NHS Services in England.
The Emergency Village  will create a better Emergency Department and improved Critical Care wards by upgrading facilities and adding capacity which will enhance the patient experience across the Fylde coast.
Emergency Village and Critical Care development clinical lead for the Emergency Department, Dr Adeline Israel, said: “This new mental health (MH) model being developed to provide an alternative pathway for patients accessing emergency departments is a milestone in transforming emergency mental health care.
“It is acknowledged that emergency departments are busy, high stimulus environments and are not the ideal place for patients suffering with mental health difficulties in crisis.
“The proposed joint triage by ED and MH team also supports service users accessing the new unit when they require a safe environment for urgent assessment. “We are indeed glad for this collaborative initiative with Lancashire Care  which is a very positive step towards better care for these patients.
“The Mental Health Assessment unit will provide a calming environment for the assessment and development of treatment plans for more complex service users who are in crisis and are accessing emergency services but have no medical need.’’
You can follow the progress of the project on the Trust’s website at: bfwh.nhs.uk/emergency-village. A 3D ‘fly through’ of the proposed new Emergency Department, featuring the new waiting and Minors area, can be viewed at https://youtu.be/RaoJeFwbkB8
You can also follow the progress of the project on the Trust’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BTHEmergencyVillage and Twitter: @BTH_EVandCC
WORKS UPDATE (PLEASE ALSO VISIT THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT SECTION)
THIS WEEK’S UPDATE TO OCTOBER 16, 2020:

The new temporary waiting room in the Emergency Department

Work has begun on the new Mental Health Urgent Assessment Centre which will be housed in the former ADAS /OT (Anticoagulation/Occupational Therapy offices)  space next to the main ED entrance.
The work will be conducted by teams appointed by Lancashire and South Cumbria Foundation Trust and on completion, will be a dedicated treatment area to improve emergency mental health services for the Fylde coast.
This week, the temporary new waiting room, with toilets, opened in the Emergency Department. Vending machines will be in place next week.
The new configuration also allowed ITU to gain a new staff room until the bigger Critical Care build starts in earnest in Spring 2021. Work has also started on new toilets, in the former the ED waiting room.
ED is also operating from the former Urgent Care Centre area (ED2).

Elsewhere, the control room for patient flow has moved to the former PMO office and as previously reported, ADAS (Anticoagulation) and OT offices have move to a new modular building near the Gastro department. Child Physiotherapy, Urogynaecology Physiotherapy Service, ESD and Casher  have also be relocated.

INFORMATION FROM ATLAS, WHO ARE SUPPORTING THE EMERGENCY VILLAGE WORKS:
This coming week, the demolition works on the former minors’ area will be coming to a close; paving the way for construction to begin in this area.
In addition, with the new waiting area and WCs in place, demolitions of the former waiting area and WCs will continue.
Finally, a new temporary corridor will be formed to allow access by patients and staff to the main hospital, as the original glass fronted corridor will become part of the contractors’ demolition site.

You can also follow progress at:

https://twitter.com/BTH_EVandCC

 

BLACKPOOL URGENT TREATMENT CENTRE MOVES TO TEMPORARY ON-SITE LOCATION

SAME SERVICE, NEW TEMPORARY LOCATION NEAR BLACKPOOL ED/A&E.

As building work at Blackpool Victoria Hospital’s Emergency Village and Critical Care development progresses an important service will be temporarily moving to another location on the Blackpool Victoria site.

The Urgent Care Centre will relocate from its current position adjacent to the Emergency Department (ED), to a new temporary modular building within the nearby Whinpark 1 car park by the end of today, September 30.

The fully functioning service will be housed in Whinpark 1, just across from the Emergency Department, until early 2021 while the construction of a new Minors’ area begins as part of an overall expansion of the Emergency Department.

Emergency Village and Critical Care Development Lead, Nigel Fort, said: “By moving the existing Minors into an enlarged new location, currently occupied by the Urgent Care Centre, it will allow for the generation of five additional cubicles in Majors – the area that treats emergency patients.”

The Urgent Care Centre is run by Fylde Coast Medical Services.

Emma Edwards, Head of Fylde Coast Integrated Urgent Care Service, FCMS (NW) Ltd, said: “This is an exciting time for all that have been involved in the development of the Emergency Village as this move will provide the space required to commence the building work on the overall project.

“The services that will be moving as part of the Urgent Care Centre relocation are the Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC), Out of Hours Service and the DVT Service which have all occupied this space for some time.

“Patients who have a pre-booked appointment with any services and have been given a timeslot to attend, should come directly to the reception area in the new modular building.

“For patients who require urgent or emergency care and have not been directed to the UTC or ED, they should continue to attend the main reception area located at the front of the Emergency Department.

“Here patients will be greeted by our Frontline Reception Team, who will ask a few questions and then direct them to the most appropriate service for their presenting symptoms.

“We understand that this will feel different for both patients and staff working within those services and we will be supporting everyone involved. We encourage any comments or feedback to ensure the patient journeys are clear and as smooth as possible.’’

Blackpool Victoria Hospital’s Emergency Village and Critical Care development has focused on creating a better Emergency Department together with the Critical Care wards by upgrading facilities, adding capacity and significantly enhancing patient experience across the Fylde coast.

Emergency Consultant and Emergency Department Lead for the Emergency Village and Critical Care Development, Dr Adeline Israel, said: “The footprint of ED will temporarily shrink further due to these changes.

“It is vital for patients to use the ED for emergencies only. For non-emergency conditions they can try alternative pathways like NHS 111 First. On arriving in ED patients would be triaged based on their clinical condition and redirected to the appropriate facilities if not requiring emergency treatment. It would be best to call 111 or use the online services before presenting to ED.”

Following extensive work consulting with staff, patient panels and external agencies, the project’s Programme Board has now finalised plans and has submitted the business case for the capital funding from NHS Improvement to receive close to £13m to develop an ‘Emergency Village’ as part of a national fund to upgrade NHS Services in England.

Work on the wider development is scheduled to begin in Spring 2021. The Urgent Care Centre will eventually move back permanently within the Emergency Village footprint.

The 3D ‘fly through’ of the proposed new Emergency Department, featuring the new waiting and Minors area, can be viewed at https://youtu.be/RaoJeFwbkB8

You can also follow the progress of the project at Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BTHEmergencyVillage and Twitter: @BTH_EVandCC

View the 3D plans of the upgraded Blackpool Emergency Department

3D detail of the planned new Emergency Department at Blackpool Victoria Hospital, featuring the new waiting and Minors areas.

Members of the public can now see exciting plans to enhance and expand the Emergency Department at Blackpool Victoria Hospital.

Blackpool teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has released a 3D ‘flythrough’ which gives clear details of the planned extension of the Emergency Department (ED) at the hospital.

The work was due to start in 2023 but is now set to begin two and a half years ahead of schedule thanks to part of a share of £300 million allocated across the country by the Government to upgrade facilities ahead of winter.

As a result of the funding work to extend the waiting area and Minors area – treating non-life threatening emergency illness and injuries – is now set to be completed by Christmas 2020.

Talking about the development Emergency Village and Critical Care Development Lead, Nigel Fort, said: “A fundamental element of the redesign of ED has been to open up the waiting area which gives us an opportunity to increase our social distancing capability almost five fold compared to the existing position. This will future-proof the department and lead to a much better experience for our patients and visitors.

“By moving the existing Minors into an enlarged new location this will allow for the generation of five additional cubicles in Majors – the area that treats seriously ill emergency patients.

“Thanks to the determination of the team, we now have plans for a class-leading development of which Blackpool and the Fylde coast can be proud, with the first phases being in place in the next few months. When people see the fly- through they will realise how transformational this scheme will be.’’

He added: “The work is all designed to improve the care we can provide but it is important for the public to remember that the Emergency Department is for emergencies only and we would ask people to follow all the current guidelines and  call 111 before attending as they may be able to be directed to more appropriate services.”

Blackpool Victoria Hospital’s Emergency Village development has focused on creating a better Emergency Department together with the Critical Care wards by upgrading facilities, adding capacity and significantly enhancing patient experience across the Fylde coast.

Following extensive work consulting with staff, patient panels and external agencies, the project’s Programme Board has now finalised plans ahead of the business case submission for the capital funding from NHS Improvement.

Emergency Department Lead for the Emergency Village, Dr Adeline Israel, said: “I am delighted to see the plans we have been working on for months come alive through the brilliant work of the architects.

“Watching this spectacular fly through gives us a sense of accomplishment and joy of a vision that is near realisation now. It is a celebration of excellent team work of a dedicated team that was willing to listen and incorporate ideas towards the best practical design possible.

“Currently our exceptional staff are working under extremely challenging conditions. The newly planned Emergency Village and the developments that have now been brought forward will offer a much better environment for the staff to enhance patient experience and deliver high quality of care with improved outcomes.

“Despite these changes, it is important for the public to understand that these changes are made to prevent crowding which is detrimental to everyone’s safety. The Emergency Department must be for EMERGENCIES ONLY.”

The Trust is set to receive close to £13m to develop an ‘Emergency Village’ as part of a national fund to upgrade NHS Services in England, subject to successful approval of the full business case which will be submitted in September 2020.

Work on the wider development is scheduled to begin in 2021/22.

As part of the Emergency Village development, in partnership with Lancashire and South Cumbria Care NHS Foundation Trust, a new mental health liaison unit is being developed on the Blackpool Victoria site adjacent to the Emergency Department. This will enable the Mental Health Liaison Team to work closely with the Emergency Department and offer assessments in a more appropriate setting. Work will start in the autumn.

The 3D ‘fly through’ of the proposed new Emergency Department, featuring the new waiting and Minors area, can be viewed at https://youtu.be/RaoJeFwbkB8

You can also follow the progress of the project on the Trust’s website at: www.bfwh.nhs.uk/emergency-village plus Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BTHEmergencyVillage and Twitter: @BTH_E_Village.

A construction partner for the scheme has also now been appointed. The building partner for the development is Integrated Health Projects (IHP), a joint venture between VINCI Construction UK and Sir Robert McAlpine.

 

Cash boost for Emergency Care in Blackpool

Berenice Groves

Emergency care at Blackpool Victoria Hospital has received a £2,785,000 boost from the Government.

Welcoming the new funding, Director of Operations at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Berenice Groves, said the cash would support work being done to create an Emergency Village and new Critical Care programme to develop a world class service for patients across the Fylde coast.

“This money will support us in bringing forward elements of the Emergency Village development, allowing us to create more space and a new clinical area to improve patient experience,” explained Berenice.

Work can now begin on creating a minor injury unit which will free up more cubical space in the main Emergency Department. This will involve some restructuring and building work in the hospital’s A&E department and Urgent Care Unit and it is hoped this project will be completed by Christmas.

“As we get ready for winter we need to ensure patients feel confident about accessing health care and this means ensuring patients receive appropriate help in a safe and suitable setting.

“To help alleviate some of the pressures on our A&E services, Blackpool will become one of the first areas in the North West to roll out the new nation-wide NHS111 First system which will allow patients to be given appointment times for health care ensuring they are seen and treated quickly and appropriately  in the most suitable setting.

“If patients are directed to our Emergency Department this funding will allow us to ensure strict social distancing measures by increasing the waiting area and ensuring more space to accommodate patient care.”

Work on the planned £13m Emergency Village was earmarked to start in 2023, but this funding will allow the Trust to bring the start date forward to help with winter pressures and expand waiting areas and increase the number of treatment cubicles to reduce overcrowding and improve infection control measures.

“For us to offer first-class health services, it is vital patients help us by accessing health care in the most appropriate way,” Berenice added.

“Our A&E department must be kept free for emergency treatment only so that we can provide the best possible care. With strict social distancing measures in place health care will be more challenging and we ask the community to use the NHS111 system to ensure they are directed to the right service for their needs.”

Kevin McGee, Chief Executive of the Trust said: “Throughout the pandemic, the NHS has been here for you and emergency departments have remained open. If you do have to go to hospital, please be assured that it is as safe as possible – NHS staff are following strict social distancing and hygiene measures to allow people to access care safely. Please do not hesitate to access emergency treatment if you need it.

“Winter is always a busy time, and with the added pressures of COVID-19, this funding will help us to continue to deliver safe and quality care in this new normal and meet the future needs of people in our area.”

The cash allocated to Blackpool Teaching Hospitals is part of a share of £300 million allocated across the country to upgrade facilities ahead of winter.

 

You can  follow the progress of the Emergency Village and Critical Care development on this web page plus Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BTHEmergencyVillage and Twitter: @BTH_E_Village.

 

Plans progress in Blackpool Emergency Village and Critical Care development

Plans to enhance and expand emergency and critical care departments in Blackpool have been gathering pace, with further progress in a number of key areas.

Blackpool Victoria Hospital’s Emergency Village development will focus on creating a better Emergency Department together with the Critical Care wards, by upgrading facilities and adding capacity, enhancing patient experience across the Fylde coast.

Following extensive work consulting with staff, patient panels and external agencies, the project’s programme board have now finalised plans ahead of the business case submission for the capital funding from NHS Improvement and are ready to appoint a third party contractor for construction.

Emergency Village Clinical Lead for the Emergency Department, Dr Adeline Israel, said: “I am excited and pleased about the progress being made.

“Currently, our exceptional staff work under extremely challenging conditions of constrained space, shortage of manpower and high influx of patients with a wide range of needs.

“The Emergency Village can potentially close the gap on the resources by providing the right space and design, robust processes and pathways and attract manpower by offering a training environment that will be second to none.

“This, combined with education of the public to visit ED only during a medical emergency, will go a long way to make it a centre of excellence.

“The ED is considered as the A&E (Anything and Everything) department with high-user demands. Staff are stretched to a large extent already trying to meet these demands while even tolerating abuse and misbehaviour at times. A greater appreciation of their dedicated work is required for harmonious functioning of this pressurised, vulnerable and sensitive area.

“The Emergency village offers the hope of a much better environment for the staff to enhance patient experience and deliver high quality of care with improved outcomes. This hope continues to drive and motivate us. Therefore, I am encouraged to strive towards making this vision a reality soon.”

Plans will see a new Critical Care building constructed just behind the current Emergency Department/Urgent Care Centre. The current High Dependency Unit and Intensive Care units will move from their current locations, freeing up room for the Emergency Department to expand.

Emergency Village Clinical Lead for Critical Care, Dr Rob Thompson, said: “We are really excited that we can start to visualise the new unit and the benefits to both staff and patients.

“The new unit will include rehabilitation areas, a space fit for purpose. The new patient rooms will also be more appropriate for the critical care environment.”

The Trust is set to receive close to £13m to develop an ‘Emergency Village’ as part of a national fund to upgrade NHS Services in England, subject to successful approval of the full business case.

Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust is also set to receive £8.2m to improve facilities and ensure that mental health patients on the Fylde coast are receiving care in the right place to support their needs.

A 3D ‘fly through’ of the proposed new Critical Care unit can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obVBOCJmxzE

The Emergency Department’s fly throughs will be released over the next few weeks.

You can follow the progress of the project on the Trust’s website at: www.bfwh.nhs.uk/emergency-village plus Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BTHEmergencyVillage and Twitter: @BTH_EVandCC

The Clinically Led Workforce and Activity Redesign (CLeAR)  programme has also been working to establish the needs of the patient and link current activity to the workforce by using advanced analytics in the Emergency Department, and may help influence staffing decisions and new models of care.

 

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT, YOU CAN EMAIL bfwh.EVandCC@nhs.net

AND YOU WILL RECEIVE AN ANSWER WITHIN 72 WORKING HOURS.