New urgent and emergency care entrance in place from next week

From Monday 5 December, a new entrance will be in place for all patients arriving to hospital for urgent or emergency care as a walk-in.

All patients will need to enter the hospital through the Urgent Treatment Centre, where they will be triaged at the door by a Clinical Navigator who will signpost them to the right place for their care, which could be the Emergency Department, Urgent Treatment Centre or an assessment unit.

This means people will be seen in the clinical area best suited to their needs and can easily be moved around if their condition worsens.

Any patient who is arriving to hospital on an ambulance will be taken straight to the Emergency Department, via the current ambulance route to the back of the hospital.

Out of Hours route to Emergency Department

The Urgent Treatment Centre is currently only open from 7.00am to 10.00pm. If a patient arrives to the hospital as an urgent or emergency walk-in outside of these hours, they will need to use a new out-of-hours entrance, which is located at the west entrance of the hospital, directly adjacent to the Urgent Treatment Centre.

Patients will enter through these doors and follow clear signs that direct them to the Emergency Department.

Colleagues in the Way Forward Programme team and Emergency Department have worked with a number of clinical staff, estates, security and other colleagues to ensure that this out-of-hours route is accessible for all.

Access to the new UTC and ED entrances will be clearly signposted across the Great Western Hospital site to assist patients and staff.

Watch our video below explaining the changes and the new route to follow: