New Antrim A&E unit ‘to benefit people of Mid-Ulster’

A special ‘mock-up room’ has been set up by health chiefs to give visitors a taste of the facilites which will be fully operational from Spring 2013.

The design of the new Emergency Department will include a reception area; Triage, Minors (Adult & Paediatrics), Majors (Adult & Paediatrics), Resus, designated rooms for gynaecology; neck and head injuries; bariatric patients, an X-ray suite and isolation facilities plus a full range of supporting accommodation.

Board Chairman Jim Stewart, one of the first to visit the specially designed room, said the site would provide top of the range emeregency care to the people of Mid-Ulster.

He said: “The Emergency Department which is due to open in Spring 2013 will be a modern state-of-the-art facility providing emergency care to the people of Mid Ulster. The new unit has been designed to accommodate 90,000 attendances per year.

“The design of the new unit will improve the patient’s flow and experience through the emergency department, providing a safe and secure working environment for staff and visitors.

“The environment ensures the protection of patient’s privacy and maintenance of their dignity with all treatment areas being designed as single rooms except for the five bedded Resuscitation area and the eight recliners in the Clinical Decision Area”.

The full scale mock up room was built in the old laundry house at the Holywell Hospital site in Antrim. The mock up room is equipped exactly as the new unit will be and allows clinicians, nurses, domestic services, infection control officers and allied health professionals to get an accurate view of the size and layout of the proposed bedrooms. All comments made by users and staff are recorded and reviewed by members of the project team such as the architect and mechanical and electrical consultant.