Chesterfield Royal Hospital: Work begins on new £24m development

The new development is set to open in summer 2023

Work on a new £24m urgent and emergency care development at Chesterfield Royal Hospital is under way.

It will take about 18 months complete and is due to open in summer 2023.

The building will include an urgent treatment centre for minor injuries or illness, as well areas for paediatric care, major injuries, medical emergencies, and mental health support.

The hospital's management said the development was its biggest in urgent care since it opened in 1984.

According to hospital figures, more than 90,000 patients use the emergency department each year

The facility is being built on a existing staff car park next to the current Emergency Department (ED) building and those parking spaces will be moved elsewhere.

The new paediatric assessment unit, which will be additional to the hospital's current Nightingale Children's Unit, will aim to assess, observe, treat, and discharge children within 12 hours.

A hospital spokesperson said demand for emergency care is increasing every year so they decided to revise the original plans to refurbish the ED and opted for a new build.

Current emergency services will not be disrupted during the construction, a hospital spokesperson said

Berenice Groves, the hospital's deputy chief executive who is leading the project, said there had been "significant focus on planning and design in consultation with clinical colleagues".

She added: "It is a real boost for everyone to see the work begin.

"This is the biggest development in our urgent and emergency care services since the hospital opened its doors in 1984."

Katherine Lendrum, the clinical lead for the ED, said when patients arrive in the new development "whatever level of care you need, you will immediately be in the right place".

"This could be a GP, advanced nurse practitioner, therapist or consultant," she added.

Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust said it was seeking views from the public on the new development.