[library picture]
Construction begins next week on a new £12m Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC) at the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust, which will provide improved facilities and a better environment and experience for patients with non-life-threatening illnesses and injuries.
Once completed, the new purpose-built centre will replace the RUH’s current UTC, which at the moment is based within its Emergency Department.
Moving the centre out of the Emergency Department to a new location on the RUH site will improve capacity in ED for patients and staff, reducing crowding and supporting safer care.
By providing a clear separation between patients needing life-saving care and those needing urgent but non-life-threatening care when they first arrive at the hospital, it is also hoped we can reduce waiting times, helping our patients get the care they need in the right place and more quickly. To support this aim, clinical teams are working to simplify the patient journey and streamline ways of working.
Other benefits of the new building will include better privacy, waiting, assessment and treatment environments for patients, improved infection prevention and control through purpose-built accommodation and better working conditions for staff.
The new UTC, scheduled to open in late December 2026, represents a significant investment in urgent and emergency care at the RUH thanks to £12m of national investment from the Department of Health and Social Care.
John Palmer, RUH Managing Director, said: “The start of construction work marks a major milestone in the RUH’s plans to further improve its urgent and emergency care services for our patients.
“The new Urgent Treatment Centre will make a really positive difference to our patients and underlines our ambitions to deliver more efficient and effective care while improving access to care and treatment through investing in our estate.
“Importantly, by moving the new UTC out of our emergency department, we will free up more space in our busy A&E, enabling our clinical teams there to care more effectively for seriously ill and injured patients.
“But this is about more than just a new building – we are also transforming the way we work to ensure we continue to deliver the highest quality care for our patients as soon as they arrive at our front door.”
The modular buildings which will make up the new UTC are being provided by specialist providers of healthcare infrastructure, Vanguard Healthcare Solutions.
Simon Squirrell, UK Business Director, Vanguard Healthcare Solutions, said: “We’re delighted to be working in partnership with the RUH to deliver its new Urgent Treatment Centre.
“Our focus is on providing a high-quality clinical facility that supports the Trust’s ambitions for urgent and emergency care, while minimising disruption to patients, staff and existing services during construction. We look forward to seeing the new centre become an important part of the RUH estate.”
A UTC is for urgent health problems that need attention the same day but are not life- threatening. An Emergency Department is for serious injuries and life-threatening emergencies that need immediate assessment and treatment.
The hospital’s current UTC and emergency department will remain open as normal while the construction work takes place.
