Investing in our services

This will help us to make sure those attending the Urgent and Emergency Care Centre (UECC) will have access to timely treatment, supporting our overall improvement journey towards achieving the national four-hour emergency care standard.

To make room for this expansion, we're also moving some of our other services, investing into newly renovated areas, helping to improve the environment and experience of our patients, visitors and staff.

Temporary service moves

Due to the building works taking place throughout this project, some services will move to temporary locations.

Fracture clinic is temporarily based on B level, junction 2 (by the lifts)
Medical Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) is currently located on ward B6 (B level, junction 3)
Theatre Treatment Suite is temporarily based on ward B6 (B level, junction 3)
In the summer, Orthotics will temporarily move into the new pre-assessment centre

We thank you for your patience while the building works are carried out and apologise for any inconvenience caused.

An overview of Rotherham Hospital with areas highlighted where building works will take place throughout 2025

Pre-operative assessment unit

Our pre-operative assessment unit will move to a new facility located close to Day Surgery.

To help patients attending the new location, a new drop off point has been created outside the entrance as well as a limited number of disabled parking bays.

The new pre-operative assessment unit is expected to open in April 2025.

The outside of the new pre-assessment centre. Inset there is an overview of the hospital highlighting the building's location

Urgent and Emergency Care Centre (UECC)

We are expanding our Urgent and Emergency Care Centre into the space previously occupied by fracture clinic.

The new area will house our minor injuries and urgent primary care services alongside a brand new purpose-built medical Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) unit.

When this area opens all attendees (apart from those brought by ambulance) will enter through the door directly into the new area. This will be open 8am to midnight every day. Between midnight and 8am, attendees will enter the Urgent and emergency Care Centre through the current entrance.

The expanded UECC is expected to open in June 2025.

Sexual health

Our sexual health service will move from its existing home on C level, junction 3 to newly refurbished facilities beside the main entrance to the hospital in the space previously occupied by the pre-assessment centre.

New new sexual health clinic is expected to open in summer 2025.

A basic overview showing the new sexual health clinic

Fracture clinic and orthotics

A brand new fracture clinic will be built on C level, junction 3 and will feature its own dedicated X-ray facility.

Our Orthotics department will also be refurbished with updated facilities.

$A basic overview showing the new fracture clinic and orthotics department in relation to C level, junction 3$

Therapy Services

Our Therapies department (C level, junction 3) will receive a refurbishment.

Outline of a camera with the test 'awaiting photo'

Questions and answers - Urgent and Emergency Care Centre

How are you capacity of the Urgent and Emergency Care Centre?

We are increasing the capacity by increasing the number of rooms where we can see patients. This will help us to ensure patients are in the right place to be seen by the right healthcare professional.

While our capacity will be increased, the services should only be used in emergencies or if directed to the Urgent and Emergency Care Centre by a healthcare professional. This allows us to focus on those who are in most urgent need of medical attention. Pharmacists, GPs and NHS111 should be the first places to go for help and advice if it is not an emergency.

How are you going to measure the impact of these works to see if there is an improvement?

Our performance is measured nationally against the 4 hour emergency care standard. We will see our waiting times reduce and patients getting home quicker.

We will also use patient experience and feedback to measure our improvements.

Will there be two entrances to the Urgent and Emergency Care Centre?

There will be two doors, but only one will be open at a time.

From 8am until midnight, all ambulant attenders (those who can walk or are in a wheelchair) to the Urgent and Emergency Care Centre will enter through the door that goes directly into the new area (previously the entrance to fracture clinic). On the main drive, this is the entrance before the ambulance bay, closest to the hospital's main entrance.

From midnight to 8am, all ambulant attenders will enter through the current entrance to the Urgent and Emergency Care Centre. On the main drive, this is the entrance after the ambulance bay.

People arriving by ambulance will enter through the ambulance entrance as they do now.

What happens if people are still in the the area which closes at midnight? Will they have to go outside and through the other entrance?

No. There is a door inside the building that links the new area to the rest of the Urgent and Emergency Care Centre.

We will stop parts of the streaming to the services at a certain time to make sure we can get people to where they need to be.

Why is it called the Urgent and Emergency Care Centre (UECC) when people are used to A&E?

The Urgent and Emergency Care Centre houses a number of different services.

The Emergency Department (A&E) is one of these services. There's also:

urgent primary care
GP out of hours
alcohol liaison service
minor injuries
community hospital avoidance team (CHAT)

Urgent and Emergency Care Centre is a name used to encompass all of these services.

There is often a queue of people in the 'tunnel' waiting to enter the Urgent and Emergency Care Centre. Will this work help this?

Yes. We understand the tunnel can be hot in summer and very cold in winter. The queue is because everyone sees a 'streamer' (a GP or an Advanced Clinical Practitioner (ACP)) who provides a quick assessment and decides which service (or 'stream') in the Urgent and Emergency Care Centre needs to see them before they book in at reception.

For the new entrance, people will be able to go directly inside and book in with the receptionist first. They will then be able to sit down and wait to see the streamer who will make the decision about which service the patient will be allocated to that best suits their needs.

The reception team will be able to highlight to the streamer if they are concerned about someone who is unwell.

What about patients who have been sent to see urgent primary care by NHS 111?

Anyone who has been sent directly to our urgent primary care or GP out of hours service by NHS 111 will be able to use a self check-in machine at the entrance or book in at reception before taking a seat. These patients will not have to see the streamer.

Will you put the actual names or words on signs rather than the acronyms?

Yes we will.

There are a lot of acronyms in the NHS and we understand this is confusing, it isn't clear to patients or visitors, and often the same acronym can mean different things in different areas. We are making an effort to significantly reduce or stop using acronyms on our signs and patient information.

Will there be any quiet spaces for people who are neurodiverse or have extreme anxiety, for example, can wait safely?

We have included a multi-purpose room in the area which can be used as a multi-faith room, a sensory or calming room, or as a space to meet with relatives who are upset.

We would need to make sure that the patient is well enough to wait in this area as they would be unsupervised.

Questions and answers - Pre-operative assessment unit

The new unit is a long way from the main car park. Will there be a drop off point?

Yes. We have created a drop off area outside the entrance to the new unit which will allow patients to be dropped off before their appointment. Family or friends will then be able to park the car without the patient worrying about making their appointment.

We have also added two disabled parking bays opposite the unit's entrance too.

If a patient is coming by bus and will struggle to get to the new unit, what should they do?

The new unit is between 5 to 10 minutes walk from the bus stop with a slight uphill gradient.

The unit can also be accessed by going through the main entrance of the hospital and exiting the building at the other end. This is a longer distance, but the main part is flat. Wheelchairs are available in the main entrance.

The pre-operative assessment team phone patients to book their appointment. If a patient may have an issue getting to the unit, they can let the team know when booking the appointment. The team can then make arrangements to help the patient get to their appointment.

A walk-though video will be available on the pre-operative assessment unit page on our website when the new unit opens.

How will you let patients know when you've moved?

Patients will get a phone call to let them know the unit has moved. We will give directions during that phone call.

After the phone call, patients will also receive a text message confirming their appointment. This will also tell the patient where to go.

Our website will also be updated with the new location and a walk-through video showing patients how to get to the new unit.