Modular building set to replace A&E gazebo at hospital

The gazebo has been in use at Northampton General Hospital for the last six months

A temporary building is set to arrive at a hospital to replace a gazebo used as an accident and emergency waiting room since the summer.

Northampton General Hospital said it will be a "much-improved" indoor, heated waiting room for emergency patients. 

High demand for A&E meant patients have had to queue outside in the unheated gazebo for the past six months. 

The hospital said it hoped the "modular building" would be in use within the next two weeks. 

Northampton General Hospital said there was high demand at its Accident and Emergency department

There will also be road closures for non-emergency patients, and one of the car parks will be closed during the building work, the hospital said.

It added it was still "experiencing high demand for our services at the moment".

Last week, Northampton and Kettering General Hospitals suspended visiting for adult wards and asked patients to wear masks.

They said the decision was due to a significant increase in Covid and flu cases.