Urgent Care Centre, Royal Sussex County Hospital

The extension to the Urgent Care Centre at Royal Sussex County Hospital involved the need to increase the capacity of the ‘front door’ to the Emergency Department and to carry out the works whilst all the critical care functions of the department were kept fully open.

The issues of the old UCC were not only capacity but also the need to treat patients who may require relatively simple procedures for care and hence not require full trolley access- “walking wounded”. We developed a ‘chair-centric’ area where such treatment could take place in 5 curtained articulated chairs. In addition, the treatment rooms were re-located around a central nursing station for rapid treatment and observation leading to increased throughput.

Given its hill top location and coastal aspect the creation of a circular entrance lobby shielded patients and staff from the strong winds which used to make the facility very difficult to work in and to wait in. It also has created a cohesive entrance to the Emergency Department which enables the public to navigate through the department.