• New waiting room and assessment area opens at Royal Bolton Hospital’s Emergency Department
• £1.74m redesign of urgent care services will immediately enter second phase
• Signage will be in place to direct patients to temporary reception and walk-in entrance

The major transformation of Royal Bolton Hospital’s Emergency Department is entering its next phase as the new waiting room and assessment area opens to the public.

On Monday 29 September, the redesigned and modernised waiting room will start to take patients as they arrive for urgent and emergency care.

A new assessment area will also be opening for all patients to receive an initial assessment, which will streamline how patients attending the Emergency Department will move through the hospital for care and treatment.

As part of the ongoing building works patients are being asked to note the following when attending:

• Patients will continue to book in at the temporary reception located outside the Emergency Department.
• A new temporary entrance will be located next to the ambulance arrivals bay for all walk-in arrivals. The main patient walk-in entrance will be temporarily be closed.
• All patients will receive initial assessment and may be redirected to other parts of the Emergency Department, including the Urgent Treatment Centre and Ambulatory Majors.
• The entrance to Ambulatory Majors will be clearly signposted and is closely located to the Emergency Department.
• Signs will be in place around the site to help direct people to the new entrance.

Building work will continue as the second phase gets immediately underway to create a new reception and mental health assessment area.

Imran Khan, Urgent Care Lead at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, said:

We’ve made a lot of progress since building work started in April and we’re looking forward to welcoming patients to our new, modern space in the Emergency Department that will help make sure people receive the care they need as quickly as possible.

“We still have a lot more work to do over the coming weeks which will create noise and disruption. We’re doing everything we can to minimise impacts on patients and staff and we ask for your patience and understanding whilst we make these important changes.

Earlier this year, Bolton NHS Foundation Trust unveiled plans to transform the Emergency Department to improve patient experience and create a modern space that’s fit for the future.

£1.74m in funding is being used to reconfigure the Emergency Department and Urgent Treatment Centre, which will help meet national targets for the 4-hour quality standard and ambulance handovers.

Accessing urgent care services throughout the works

Throughout the build, patients will still be able to access all emergency care services as usual, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The easiest way to access services is via the Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC), which is equipped to deal with both illnesses and minor injuries.

People may be referred to the UTC if they attend the Emergency Department with a minor condition, where they will be offered a pre-booked appointment. Appointments are also available by calling 111.

Please arrive within 10 minutes of your allocated appointment. Due to pressures, we cannot always guarantee you will be seen immediately.