Major change for visitors to York A&E

As work on York Hospital’s multi-million pound improvement to the Emergency Department (A&E) reaches its next phase, patients and visitors requiring emergency treatment are being advised that the current entrance will close and a new A&E entrance at the south of the building will be in operation from Tuesday 16 November.

Dr Mike Harkness, Care Group Director for the Emergency Department said: “We are making some exciting changes to our emergency department which will provide the much needed extra space and facilities we need.

“While this work is underway, understandably there will be some disruption, including a new temporary entrance to the department which will be located through the South Entrance of the hospital.

“Please be assured that our emergency department remains available for patients in a genuine emergency, and patient safety and care remains our priority. However, the department is exceptionally busy at the moment and we ask the public to support us by only coming to A&E when it is absolutely necessary. If you need urgent medical help you can call NHS 111 or visit online 111.nhs.uk.

“Please keep a close eye on our social media feed, our website and signage around the hospital for the latest updates and changes as we progress through the coming weeks.

“On behalf of all the team we would like to thank you for your patience, kindness and understanding during this time.”

Anyone coming to A&E should continue to use Entrance 1, the main entrance to York Hospital signposted from Wigginton Road, and park in the multi-storey car park. A new pedestrian exit has been created at the end of the car park (furthest from the barriers) where people will be signposted via the green line on the floor to the emergency department.

In the exceptional case of an emergency arriving by car and requiring immediate attention, the Emergency Department South Entrance can be accessed by car from Entrance 2, past the main entrance to the hospital if approaching from the city centre, then follow this access route round the back of the hospital to the drop off zone.

Work is due to take 60 weeks to expand and redesign the department’s urgent and emergency care facilities. This requires significant work on site to create a two-storey extension which will provide a vital new eight bedded resuscitation area, along with improvements to both the waiting room and the consultation and treatment areas to increase capacity and provide better care for patients.

It includes twelve new assessment and treatment cubicles, where patients will be seen and assessed by a senior member of the team. The children’s waiting and treatment area will be separate from the adult area.

Find out more on the York Hospital Emergency Department web page.

12 November 2021