New-look hospital emergency department officially opened

Luton Town CEO Gary Sweet and Chief Recruitment Officer Mick Harford inside the Luton and Dunstable University Hospital's refurbished emergency department

Luton Town Football Club CEO Gary Sweet and Chief Recruitment Officer Mick Harford were the special guests as the newly refurbished and expanded Emergency Department at the Luton and Dunstable University Hospital was officially opened.

The project, which began in 2021, has been delivered within a live clinical environment throughout a number of phases with the final phase now complete.

In June 2022, six modern majors cubicles were created to support with the isolation of patients attending with potential infections, monitoring of higher acuity patients, as well as providing a quieter treatment area for the most vulnerable patients.

Colette Ginger, Head of Nursing for Acute and Emergency Services cutting the ribbon alongside staff from Bedfordshire Hospitals, key redevelopment partners and Luton Town Football Club.

In July 2023, a brand new entrance and waiting area, a dedicated paediatric area and nine new major cubicles opened.

The final phase of works has seen the expansion of the department where there is now a further increase in capacity, including assessment and triage rooms and sensitively designed mental health care rooms.

The bright, modern and spacious areas will make a huge difference to patient dignity and experience when attending Emergency Department, and will also allow staff to provide outstanding care in the very best environment.

The Emergency Department often has over 300 attendees each day, and the expansion of the department supports the Trust with the increasing demand for emergency care.

David Carter, Chief Executive at Bedfordshire Hospitals said: “We are delighted that our new and improved Emergency Department is now open, which has been a well needed investment for our local community. We know it will make a huge difference to the staff providing care and those patients receiving it.

“The difficulty of rebuilding an Emergency Department whilst keeping it running 24/7 cannot be underestimated, so I would like to thank all involved for delivering this project.”

Dr Ahmad Mchaourab, Consultant for Emergency Medicine and Emergency Department Redevelopment Lead at the L&D said: “With the final work now complete, we look forward to continuing to provide the very best care for our patients in a modern and purpose-built environment.”