Hospital emergency care undergoes £11m improvements

An £11m project to improve emergency care at Oxfordshire's largest hospital is underway.

The work at Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital has been designed to help patients access urgent care faster, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (OUH) said.

As part of the scheme a 51-bed Emergency Assessment Unit (EAU) for adult patients is expected to open in 2027, alongside a new Urgent Treatment Centre.

Felicity Taylor-Drewe, chief operating officer at OUH said the work "represents a significant investment in the future of urgent and emergency care at the John Radcliffe".

"The new facilities will help us reduce delays in care, enhance the experience of patients and staff, and support our teams to deliver high-quality care in the most appropriate setting," she said.

Construction work on the project began earlier this year, with the new space expected to open in phases from Spring 2027.

The development, which is being part-funded by national NHS funding, will see a currently unused space at the hospital transformed into the new EAU.

OUH said the new unit would have a "particular focus on older patients and those with complex needs", and would provide "short-stay assessment and treatment, helping teams of healthcare professionals provide care more quickly".

The trust said the site would also work closely with community services to reduce the time patients need to stay in hospital.

Alongside the EAU, a new Urgent Treatment Centre will treat patients with minor illnesses and conditions that can often be managed outside of the hospital's Emergency Department.

Extra spaces for same-day emergency care as well as a new observation area outside of the Paediatric Emergency Department are also included in the plans.