A NEW discharge unit has been created at Ipswich Hospital to tackle pressure on the number of beds, it emerged today.

A NEW discharge unit has been created at Ipswich Hospital to tackle pressure on the number of beds, it emerged today.

The unit replaces the old discharge lounge and will provide seven beds for patients who are ready to leave the hospital.

The move follows concerns about demand for beds at the hospital.

Ambulances lined up outside the hospital waiting to admit patients earlier this year, while The Evening Star also featured the story of Masie Dickson who was desperate to leave the hospital but had nowhere to go.

Hospital bosses now hope the new unit, due to open in April, will improve the flow of patients through the hospital, freeing up more beds.

Kate Barchus, discharge lounge coordinator, said: “This will be a great opportunity to provide a much improved service and environment for patients waiting to go home.

“Patients will have time to discuss their discharge needs so making the whole experience a more positive one for them.

“The ultimate goal is for more patients to be discharged safely and reduce unnecessary readmissions to hospital.”

The new unit will be in Woodbridge Ward on the first floor of the South Wards. It will move once the elective surgery ward currently housed on Woodbridge Ward has moved to the new Garrett Anderson Centre.

The discharge unit, staffed by qualified nurses and health care assistants, will be open continuously from Monday mornings to Friday evenings.

The lounge currently only opens from 8.30am to 7.30pm, Monday to Friday.

Do more beds need to be made available at Ipswich Hospital? Are you waiting in the hospital, able to leave but with nowhere to go? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk.