Funding of £9m to improve emergency care

A hospital's £9m programme to improve emergency and urgent care will deliver "faster assessments, reduce delays" and offer more efficient treatment for patients, a trust said.

The scheme at Pinderfields Hospital, in Wakefield, will see the relocation and expansion of the Medical Same Day Emergency Care (MSDEC) unit, into a purpose‑built space directly alongside the Acute Medical Unit.

Bringing the two services together would improve patient flow, speed up clinical decision‑making and cut waiting times, according to the Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust.

Catherine Cotton, the trust's chief operating officer, said the investment marked a "major step forward" for urgent and emergency care.

The project would also see a new Acute Receiving Unit created to provide faster access to "senior clinicians and a wide range of specialties", a trust spokesperson said.

Following this, patients would either be admitted to an acute medical ward or treated in MSDEC the same day.

The trust said to create the space needed for MSDEC's expansion, Outpatient Therapy and Psychological Services, would move from Gate 3A to the nearby refurbished Queen Elizabeth House.

The redesign is also expected to see the hospital's Gynaecology Assessment Unit and Early Pregnancy Assessment Unit expanded.

Building work is expected to take place between September and December 2026, with services expected to open from December 2026 into early 2027.

Cotton said: "By redesigning our pathways and creating modern, purpose‑built environments, we can ensure patients are assessed more quickly, receive safer care and experience fewer delays.

"This is a transformational programme that will improve care for our communities and support our staff with the facilities they need to deliver the highest standards."

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