New medical unit helps ease pressure on A&E

A new state-of-the-art unit has opened at a Brighton hospital as part of a multi-million pound modernisation of its urgent and emergency care.

The new Acute Medical Unit (AMU) at the Royal Sussex County Hospital also includes a same day care unit, which offers patients who do not need an overnight stay access to 24-hour specialist care.

According to the University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, the AMU is designed to care for around 500 patients every week.

Chief executive Dr Andy Heeps said the new unit has "completely transformed" the way patients are treated.

"People get to their treatment much quicker with this facility," he added.

Dr Heeps said there has been an improvement in the "time it takes for ambulances to hand over" and in treatment times for patients.

Alexandra Fridl, a ward sister 10 years, said having a unit which is open 24 hours a day has eased pressure on the emergency department.

"I can really see a difference in A&E, even the staff seem better within themselves," she said.

"We're so grateful for the new everything," Fridl added.

Beyond offering better care to current patients, Dr Heeps said it "enables us to start renovating the main emergency department".

He said: "Refurbishing our emergency department is going to be like performing open heart surgery on the hospital.

"We're a major trauma centre. We are open 365 days a year, 24 hours a day and we can't close."

This work is being undertaken as part of a modernisation programme that is due to conclude in 2029.

Both the AMU and Surgical Assessment Unit, which opened on in 2024, are included in phase one of this project.

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