New unit opens at Worcestershire Royal Hospital to ease A&E pressures

The 29-bed unit is expected to ease the pressure on the A&E department.

A new unit has opened at Worcestershire Royal Hospital in a bid to ease pressure on urgent and emergency care services.

The Acute Medical Unit (AMU) has 29 beds and allows patients referred by their GP to be admitted directly to the ward.

It is located on the first floor of the Worcestershire Oncology Centre and welcomed its first patients on Tuesday.

The £8m ward was funded by NHS England to improve ambulance handovers.

"The AMU is the first part of a series of developments aimed at creating extra capacity, delivering a better patient experience," said Matthew Hopkins, chief executive of Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.

'Great initiative'

Julie Grant, West Midlands director for NHS England, said it was "great to see initiatives".

A 21-bed Pathway Discharge Unit (PDU) is expected to open later this month.

The PDU nursing team will care for patients who are ready to be discharged from hospital with additional support.

Work is also continuing on a new expanded and relocated urgent and emergency care centre which will fully open at the hospital next year.