Second Emergency Department opens at NNUH

A second Emergency Department has opened at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH) in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

As a result of the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, the Arthur South Day Procedure Unit has been turned into an extra ED to treat patients. Patients will be directed to the appropriate area for their condition at the DPU entrance.

This has resulted in some changes to the outpatients side of the hospital with the rerouting of buses and access to public vehicles will be restricted to allow emergency ambulances to park outside and to bring patients through the DPU entrance.

The existing Emergency Department area will be for non-Covid-19 related illnesses and injuries and DPU will treat those with confirmed or suspected Covid-19.

The hospital is being split into Yellow zoned areas for patients with positive and suspected COVID-19 symptoms and Green zoned areas are parts of the hospital are treating patients without the virus.

Chris Cobb, NNUH Chief Operating Officer, said: “As we move towards the peak of this outbreak, we have created Yellow and Green zoned Emergency Departments to establish clear and separate areas of the hospital for patients who potentially need hospital admission for coronavirus symptoms. Thanks to the hard work of the ED and surgical division teams this expansion of our emergency care capacity will be in place prior to the peak of the infection.”

Further changes to the hospital site have begun with the start of work on a 10-bed isolation unit to support the Trust’s management of Covid-19.

It is anticipated that the new construction will open to its first patients this summer, which will be located where the Level 1 East Atrium drop-off area is.

Therefore, the drop-off area outside of the East Atrium, Level 1 (Car Park L) will be permanently closed to all vehicular access. A pedestrian entrance will be maintained.