Hospital opens new discharge unit ahead of winter

The new discharge lounge has trolley space for four and recliner seating for up to 10 patients

A new unit has opened at a hospital to accommodate patients who were waiting to be discharged, a trust said.

The modular unit, which can accommodate up to 15 people, has been placed between the oncology ward and ambulatory unit within Peterborough City Hospital.

North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust (NWAFT), which runs the hospital, said it was part of a wider redevelopment plan to improve patient experience and to help the trust's hospitals prepare for the busy winter months.

Sheila Roberts, the senior operations adviser for the trust, said this would help "free up beds for our sickest patients".

The modular unit is located between the oncology department and ambulatory unit at Peterborough City Hospital

In July 2022, the trust was at the bottom of the national league table for patients waiting longer than four hours in A&E. It was also in the bottom ten for patients having to wait in an ambulance because there was no space in A&E to offload them.

Earlier this year, the trust opened a new C16 ward, a 20-bed facility to help ease the pressure on patient capacity.

Previously, hospital trusts in the region had urged the families and friends of patients to be ready for them to be discharged during the mornings, as winter approaches.

Ms Roberts said: "The new facility is larger than the existing discharge lounge and will be a comfortable area that will have both trolley and seating space for patients who are waiting to go home.

"Moving patients who are well enough to the discharge to the lounge frees up beds for our sickest patients and helps us manage the demand on our services across the trust."

The new discharge lounge is signposted on site and has car park access for anyone coming to collect someone from a hospital stay.