There are hopes to add even more new facilities to Great Western Hospital’s Emergency Department – but that would require a hefty injection of further funding. The unexpected challenges posed by the pandemic meant that some of the original ideas for the new £33.5m front door to the hospital had to be taken out so that it could still be built without going over-budget.
Julian Auckland Lewis is the programme director of the hospital’s Way Forward programme which oversees the development of major projects like the new Emergency Department and Urgent Treatment Centre. He explained: “Covid and construction inflation meant that we built less than we intended to in terms of components. “Between getting approval of the business case and completing the full business case, we realised we had significant cost pressures, so we had to leave out two components to achieve affordability – but without compromising the original conception and design of the department.
“So there is a Phase Two we are seeking £24 million of funding for which will include medical assessment and surgical assessment units. “It’s difficult to say if that bid will be successful. Government capital is very thin on the ground at the moment and GWH has had a couple of big investments already so they may want to spread the funding out a little.
“However, what we have now is what was always intended to be built – an integrated front door that improves emergency services and links up with the UTC.�.