BUILDING work to revamp the emergency department at Stevenage’s Lister Hospital, costing �19.3m, has begun.

A new wing will be opened in autumn 2014, with specialist and urgent care services for adults and children, an improved radiology service, and a new CT scanner.

In addition, the current orthopaedic and fracture clinic will move to the hospital’s outpatients department, where it will have its own dedicated radiology support.

When completed, the Lister’s new emergency department will have sufficient capacity to support the additional patients with life or limb-threatening conditions from across the entire east and south of the county, including Welwyn Hatfield.

Once the New QE2 Hospital is built in Welwyn Garden City, that will house a local A&E service.

Stevenage and Knebworth MP Stephen McPartland was present last Tuesday to see the work get under way at Lister.

He told the Welwyn Hatfield Times: “It’s really exciting to be here today. We are very lucky the Lister is already a centre of excellence, and I’m proud of the staff who save lives on a day-to-day basis.

“This development has been made in consultation with the staff and patients to ensure we continue to provide the best possible care.”

The trust’s clinical director for emergency medicine, Dr Faye Weinberg, said: “There will be many benefits from creating the new service, which includes the hospital’s MRI scanning service having a dedicated recovery area for patients – something we cannot offer currently.

“Also the existing, busy fracture clinic will move into the Lister’s outpatients department, where it will have its own dedicated radiology support – the aim of which is to provide faster access to this important follow-up service, while at the same time improving patient experience.”

She added: “This arrangement, which will be supported by the local A&E service that NHS Hertfordshire will be creating at the New QE2 Hospital that is expected to be built to the same timescales, will ensure that those with urgent illnesses and injuries get speedy access to the care and treatment they need locally, while at the same time making sure that those with far more serious conditions get treated by specialist emergency teams.”

The emergency department is one of 11 projects forming part of the East and North Herts Trust’s overall �75m phase redevelopment of the Lister.