Documents released ahead of an NUH Board Meeting on 15 June outline the proposals.
In a bid to enhance healthcare services for the elderly, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) has submitted a Short Form Business Case (SFBC) to the National Health Service England (NHSE) for the creation of a 24-bed Geriatric Assessment Unit (GAU) at the Queen’s Medical Centre (QMC) campus.
This initiative is part of the Urgent and Emergency Care (UEC) Recovery Plan, supported by a £250 million Additional Capacity Targeted Investment Fund (ACTIF).
The proposed GAU, requiring a capital investment of £9.856 million and £1.836 million in revenue, aims to convert an administrative area at the Queen’s Medical Centre ( QMC ) into a specialised ward for geriatric care.
The proposed location is in close proximity to the main entrance behind the Costa Coffee shop, near the Emergency Department (ED), and the Acute Medicine assessment unit, making it an ideal location for the GAU.
The GAU is part of NUH’s broader strategy to reduce bed occupancy to 92% and increase acute general and adult (G&A) bed capacity at QMC.
The 24 additional beds are included in the NUH bed plan from January 2024 onwards.
The GAU will offer numerous benefits, says NUH, including improved patient care quality and experience through a purpose-built dementia-friendly space.
It will also provide additional single en-suite capacity and infection prevention and control (IPC) approved anti-chambers to support the cohorting of infectious patients. This should improve the outflow of infectious patients from ED and reduce nosocomial infections.
The GAU will also support improvement in A&E standards through improved bed occupancy, positively impacting the ED crowding risk and subsequently ambulance turnaround times. It will also facilitate the release of 30 beds on the D-floor south block to support the movement of acute capacity from City to QMC.
The project aligns with the strategic direction of Tomorrow’s NUH, which focuses on having emergency care pathways located at QMC and creating a co-located adult admission area on B-floor. The GAU will also enable greater clinical collaboration between ED, Acute Medicine, and Healthcare for Older People (HCOP).
The SFBC submitted to NHSE recommends that the Trust Board approve the scheme to proceed with the release of NHSE funds. The project is expected to be delivered by a trusted contractor procured through the CCS Framework, ensuring value for money and timely delivery of a quality product.
Further benefits in addition to more beds:
- Creation of 24 additional beds on the QMC campus permanently and within existing estate in a prime location
- Enabling the provision of improved patient care quality and experience through purpose built dementia friendly space for a vulnerable patient cohort.
- Providing additional, much-needed single en-suite capacity (8) and IPC-approved anti- chambers to support cohorting of infectious patients, improving the outflow of infectious patients from ED and reducing nosocomial infections
- Providing a ward which can be used for alternative clinical models to ensure future proofing and opportunities for respiratory infections during winter
- Providing benefits and efficiencies with clinical adjacencies for HCOP with ED, SDEC and Acute Medicine at the QMC campus
- Supporting improvement in the A&E standards through improved bed occupancy
- Positively impacting the ED crowding risk and subsequently ambulance turnaround times
