23 September 2020
One of the busiest Emergency Departments in the country has been granted £15 million from the Government to increase its capacity and further enhance patient care.
The A&E department at University Hospital in Coventry welcomes around 150,000 patients per year and serves a catchment area of more than a million people.
An initial cash injection of £3 million was announced by the Government this week, with a written guarantee provided for the remaining funds. This money will contribute towards expanding the Emergency Department and will include a new Minor Illness and Injuries Unit.
Funding will also be used to install additional treatment cubicles, expanding the waiting room in the Children’s Emergency Department, increasing the level of same day emergency care and supporting diagnostic capacity through an additional CT scanner.
All work is designed to complement existing services provided at Rugby Urgent Treatment Centre, available 24/7 at the Hospital of St Cross, and Coventry Urgent Treatment Centre, open between 8am and 10pm in Stoney Stanton Road.
The announcement has been welcomed by University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, which manages the hospital.
Professor Kiran Patel, Chief Medical Officer and Interim Chief Executive Officer, said: “We are very proud of our Emergency Department and the safe, high quality care we provide for those most in need.
“This welcome and much-needed investment means we can future proof our services and further improve how patients are assessed and treated within our Emergency Department to improve the patient experience.
“We believe these developments will allow us to deliver new, innovative ways of working to help continue to enhance the overall experience for our patients and their families.”
Attendances have increased from 117,282 in 2010 to 152,284 in 2019 – a rise of 29.8%. The funding will be used to reconfigure the Emergency Department to ensure it is able to meet projected demographic growth in the area. The project will be delivered in a phased approach to ensure that patient care isn’t affected, with timescales to be confirmed.
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IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON BLOOD TESTING DUE TO COVID-19
If you are experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19, e.g. fever, loss of taste or continuous new cough, please DO NOT attend for a blood test.
Earlier this year, the Government revised the guidance on Shielding for CEV patients. All those who have been identified as CEV have been advised to follow the same guidance as everyone else, whilst potentially thinking about extra precautions you could take to reduce your chance of catching COVID-19.
Taking into account this guidance, and the evidence that most patients have now resumed having their blood tests at their usual preferred location, UHCW will no longer be providing the Shielding phlebotomy service from Monday 13 December 2021. You will need to make arrangements to get your blood tests done, as you did prior to the pandemic at locations across Coventry and Warwickshire at www.uhcw.nhs.uk/bloodtests If your specialist has requested a blood test which is due to be taken prior to Monday 13th December, you can expect it to take place at a ‘Pop-up’ clinic, as before. Any blood tests required after this date will need to be a booked appointment.
You can keep up to date with the latest advice from the Government and from UHCW on the following website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19
Click on the map for information about phlebotomy clinics in Coventry. You can book an appointment online at the locations in red.
Please book an appointment before attending for a blood test. Click on the ‘Book Online’ button above. Booking an appointment helps patients, their carers and family members to plan their hospital visit better, helping to reduce clinic waiting times and enabling patients to be seen much more quickly.
Location: Outpatients Department, on the ground floor. Opening hours: 8am-4.45pm, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays).
Children under 16 years old will need to book online here.
Please book an appointment before attending for a blood test, click on the ‘Book Online’ button above. Patients from Rugby and the surrounding areas are able to access the Friends Blood Taking Unit at the Hospital of St Cross.
Referrals for blood tests can be from GP's, practice nurses or from hospital consultants. Patients are also able to leave other samples, such as urine, which have been collected at home, at the hospital's Pathology Reception.
Location: Near Brookfield House, just off North Road - map here. Opening hours: The blood taking clinic sessions for adults and children are listed below:
Monday -Friday 7am-4:45pm Appointment only
Wednesday Evening 5pm-7pm Suspended due to COVID
Saturday Morning 7am-10pm Suspended due to COVID
April 2020 NEW - This Clinic is now by appointment. Please book an appointment before attending for a blood test. Click on the ‘Book Online’ button above.
Address: Stoney Stanton Road, Coventry CV1 4FS Location: Access is via the main doors, the Phlebotomy team are in Area A. Opening hours: Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays). 8am–4.45pm
Glucose Tolerance Test (GTT)
Specialist Tests - There are a small number of specialist tests where blood needs to be taken on a hospital site as the sample must be transferred to the laboratory rapidly for the test to be undertaken. Click here for a list of these specialist tests and to find out more.