Derriford Hospital to receive £30 million for a new A&E department

The new state-of-the art department will replace the existing emergency care unit

Plymouth has been awarded £30 million to build a new Urgent and Emergency Care Hub at Derriford Hospital.

The bulk of the money will be used to build a new integrated facility, bringing all urgent care into one space.

The new state-of-the art department will replace the existing emergency care unit which was built in the 1970s.

A further £12million is being invested in new diagnostic scanners and digital histopathology across Devon and Cornwall.

Building work is due to start in 2020.

The existing Emergency Department was built in the late 1970s, with cubicles to treat 120 patients per day.

Derriford Hospital is a Major Trauma Centre and specialist hospital so current facilities are no longer big enough to cope with the demand.

The new Urgent and Emergency Care Hub will have dedicated areas for children, patients with frailty, and an area that offers privacy for ambulances to drop patients off.