Plans have been unveiled for a new Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC) at East Surrey Hospital in Redhill.
There is already an Emergency Department and a Same Day Emergency Care unit on the site, but SASH is one of only a few trusts not to have a co-located Urgent Treatment Centre.
The plans include a new purpose-built Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC), and the subsequent expansion of Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) services within the main hospital building.
It is hoped this will reduce the number of patients attending the Emergency Department, reduce waiting times and the number of people needing hospital admissions and get more patients home the same day.
The new UTC will create a single front door for the Trust to assess patients who attend with non-life-threatening emergencies, which in turn, will provide faster diagnosis, assessment and treatment in one place.
Along with newly expanded SDEC services, it will also help improve patient flow, expediate ambulance handovers, and make urgent care services in East Surrey and the surrounding areas faster, more accessible and more resilient.
The constructions is supported by £8.6m capital investment from NHS England.
The plans for the new two-storey building are currently at the final stage of design. Subject to approval, construction is expected to begin in the summer and the building should open at the end of 2027.
Karen Breen, Chief Operating Officer at the Trust said: "We are really excited about this new investment into our urgent care services and, in line with the wider NHS 10-year plan to expand same day emergency care services, it’s going to be a fantastic way to improve patient experience and for our growing communities to access the treatment they need as quickly as possible.
"As well as helping to relieve pressure on our main Emergency Department, which will continue to treat those with life-threatening illnesses and injuries, the new building will also support us to free up space in the main hospital for an expanded Same Day Emergency Care service, which will reduce waiting times and ensure patients don't have to spend a night in hospital unnecessarily."
