The Medical Short Stay Unit (MSSU) at Great Western Hospital in Swindon officially opened on Wednesday, July 8, with the aim of improving patient flow and reducing pressure on urgent and emergency care services.
The 20-bed mobile ward will accommodate patients who require short-term care and observation, typically for up to 72 hours, without them needing to take up a bed in the main hospital wards.
It’s being staffed by a multidisciplinary team including doctors, nurses, healthcare support workers, allied health professionals, and administrative staff.
A first look at the new ‘short stay’ hospital unit in Swindon (Image: Great Western Hospital)
A first look at the new ‘short stay’ hospital unit in Swindon (Image: Great Western Hospital)
A spokesperson for the Great Western Hospital said: “Today, Wednesday 8 July, the first patients have been moved into our new Medical Short Stay Unit as the doors opened on the mobile 20-bedded ward.
“Patients will stay in the MSSU for up to 72 hours, receiving treatment before they are able to return to the place they call home.
“It’s just the first step in our plans to continue developing the hospital site to meet the needs of our growing and ageing population, by increasing the bed base to reduce waiting times in urgent and emergency care.”
The spokesperson added: “The new unit will help improve patient flow through the hospital and support faster access to care, as well as reducing waiting times in urgent and emergency care.
“The opening of the unit represents the next step in the Trust’s wider plans to continue developing the hospital site to meet the needs of a growing and ageing population.
“With year-on-year increase in the number of people requiring care, we are working hard to address the issues we know local people can face – and it’s teams like these incredible colleagues who make it all happen.”
The team running the new short stay medical unit (Image: Great Western Hospital)
The short stay unit was first applied for in May to increase hospital capacity amid rising bed pressures.
A planning statement from the hospital trust highlighted the urgent need for additional ward space, citing operating bed occupancy rates above 98 per cent – above the safe operational threshold.
The recent heatwave saw Great Western Hospital face its ‘busiest week on record’, as the hospital’s urgent and emergency care teams reportedly handled an average of 400-450 patients a day – well above the usual average of 270 to 300.
As well as 20 beds, the unit also includes office space, accessible showers and toilets, a kitchen, and support areas.
It can be accessed via the entrance on the northern elevation of Ward 10, with seven emergency exits across the facility.
A first look at the new ‘short stay’ hospital unit in Swindon (Image: Great Western Hospital)
A hospital spokesperson previously told the Adver: “This past winter was our busiest on record, and we regularly have more patients than beds which causes longer waits in urgent and emergency care services.
“We have identified the need for additional beds on the hospital site as our local population grows and ages year on year.
“The new medical short stay unit will provide 20 extra beds for patients who come to hospital with a medical condition, but do not need to be admitted to a ward.
“In the longer term, it will also help provide capacity to enable us to carry out refurbishment work on wards in the main hospital, by giving us additional space to care for patients while this work is carried out.”
The mobile unit is intended to remain in place until July 1, 2031, after which the site will be restored to its original condition.