“We are delighted to welcome The Princess Royal" - QA Hospital's new A&E department gets royal treatment for official opening

The department at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Cosham has been open to patients since November 26, 2024, but was officially opened by HRH The Princess Royal at a ceremony on Friday, March 7. To mark the occasion Princess Anne unveiled a plaque before speaking to staff and being given a tour of the new department.

Penny Emerit, the chief executive of Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, said: “We are delighted to welcome The Princess Royal to officially open our new Emergency Department and recognise the incredible work our teams are doing to improve the experience and outcomes for our patients.

“The new department has been designed with and for our communities. Together with our partners across the health and care system we are now able to provide patients with a better experience in a more modern and purpose-built environment.

“The official opening is an opportunity for us to thank everyone who has been involved and recognise the care they provide every day to our communities.”

Since opening its doors to patients at the end of last year, the department has had over 38,000 people attend with 14,000 arriving by ambulance and 23,000 people walking into the service. It replaced the old department which opened in 1979 and was no longer fit to meet the needs of the services on offer.

In contrast to the old department, the new one double the resus capacity for adults, a new CT scanner, and separate entrances/departments for children and adults.

Dr Pete Russell, clinical director for ED said “The department has been incredibly busy, and the new environment and care pathways are helping us ensure patients are still receiving the best possible care.

“The separate entrances and waiting areas have offered our patients more privacy and the single rooms have helped us improve infection control standards. Our dedicated chair areas are supporting patients who can be comfortably and safely cared for out of a bed, the observed play area and sensory room in the Children’s Emergency Department has offered young people an environment to support their overall health and wellbeing.”

The Princess Royal spent time talking to staff, some of whom had spoken to The News about their excitement to meet her (video embedded in this article), before being waved off by children from the local Tops Day Nurseries.

Since the department has opened it has faced a tricky winter with increased patient numbers and cases of flu. Staff spoke to The News about the teething problems they have faced as work continues to improve the pathways for patients to ensure they receive timely care in the right place.

Dr Kate Hardy, clinical director for Building Better Emergency Care said: “Staff have been working across the hospital to improve our emergency and urgent care services and we are already seeing improvements.

“The new patient pathways are supporting us to manage our patients where they receive the care they need and where possible prioritising care at home. We will continually look at how this can be improved alongside our partners to ensure everyone can receive timely, high-quality care.”

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