A NEW £1.2million medical assessment centre designed to give patients faster access to hospital treatment is today under construction.The Acute Medical Unit being built at Ipswich Hospital is designed to reduce pressure on the accident and emergency department and help reduce waiting times.

A NEW £1.2million medical assessment centre designed to give patients faster access to hospital treatment is today under construction.

The Acute Medical Unit being built at Ipswich Hospital is designed to reduce pressure on the accident and emergency department and help reduce waiting times.

People needing non-surgical treatment can be referred to the department via their GP or from accident and emergency for a full assessment.

Charlie Quinn, emergency care improvement manager, at the hospital, said: "Developing the centre has been very exciting for us all as it is very innovative.

"We've worked in partnership with our colleagues in primary care and social care and we hope to have GPs, therapists and social care staff working alongside hospital doctors in the new unit.

"One of the biggest benefits for patients will be having a thorough medical assessment by a consultant very early in the patient's journey, which will help ensure faster treatment."

The unit will be used by patients with a variety of conditions but will be especially helpful for people with chronic illness who need assessment if their condition worsens suddenly.

It will consist of 16 assessment trolleys in the unit, and five assessment chair areas, incorporating the hospital's current medical assessment wards – known as MAU 1 and MAU 2.

Chris Dooley, the Trust's chief executive said: "We are delighted to be able to develop this much-needed new centre, which will bring the very best of care for patients.

"It will also help us to significantly reduce the pressure on our Accident and Emergency Department so that we can meet the standard target of 98 per cent of all patients attending A&E being seen within four hours by this December."

Will you benefit from the new centre? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or send us an e-mail to eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk.