The new area will provide a facility better suited to the care of ill patients with infectious diseases. The improvements will also enhance the department’s ambulatory care area, enabling the team to see and treat patients quicker, and in a more appropriate environment.

The current ED reception and waiting area will be demolished to make room for a new four-bed resus area, all with isolation rooms. It is hoped there will be minimal disruption to patient care during the period as currently, most patients are seen in the hospital’s Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC).

There will be no pedestrian access directly into the ED during the building works. Walk-in patients will be streamed to the appropriate area via the UTC instead. All patients needing to attend the UTC are requested to use the hospitals’ north entrance over this period. Ambulance arrivals are unaffected.

Bruce Hopkins, matron, emergency and urgent care at Poole Hospital said, “We look forward to having the additional facilities this project will provide, which will allow us to see and treat patients quicker, and in a more appropriate environment.

“For the foreseeable future, patients needing emergency assistance are encouraged to use alternative options as appropriate, particularly the NHS 111 First service, where they will be given a booked appointment.

“’Walk-ins will still be seen, but as there will be disruption and delay during these construction works, all patients should only attend in a genuine emergency.”

Building work starts on 15 February and will continue until early May.