An Ambulance Handover Unit at Southend Hospital has been installed in a bid to reduce handover delays.

The new unit is designed so that patients are seen more quickly. The joint project between the East of England Ambulance Service (EEAST) and Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust and supported by the wider Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board has provided space for up to 12 patients.

The project will allow for ambulances to hand over patients safely, so that vehicles and crews can get back on the road more quickly.

Andrew Pike, Chief Operating Officer and Acting Managing Director at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are aware there are challenges in Southend, as the emergency department is quite small and means it quickly gets filled up when there are periods of high demand. When surges happen, we want to ensure that patients can get the care they need as quickly as possible and be looked after in good accommodation. We hope this extra capacity will help us to do that.”