More than £1.5 million is to be invested into Kingston Hospital’s A&E, expanding its emergency care facilities.

The Trust has been awarded £983,600, from a national £100 million urgent care fund, which will be used to create a new dedicated urgent care centre.

It is hoped this centre will help the hospital improve performance against the national four-hour A&E target.

Across the country, £55.98 million of the urgent care fund has been shared among 70 Trusts.

A £550,000 expansion of the Majors and Resus facilities that look after the most seriously unwell patients is also planned, as part of the Trust’s annual capital programme.

In 2016-17 more than 100,000 patients visited Kingston’s main Emergency Department.

Rachel Williams, Chief Operating Officer at Kingston Hospital, said: "Over the last year the number of people coming to our Emergency Department has increased quite considerably and we are delighted to be in a position to now expand our facilities both for our most unwell patients and also for patients with minor injuries and illnesses. This investment will ensure that all patients who come to us for urgent and emergency care get the best care in the most appropriate setting.

"We already have a GP supporting our Emergency Department team for 16 hours a day and the new urgent care centre will help to ensure that patients are 'streamed' into the right part of the department when they arrive at the front door.

"The expanded Majors and Resus areas will provide six additional Majors cubicles and two additional Resus areas."

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