Royal A&E Department set to move to new Royal

The Accident and Emergency (A&E) Department at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital is set for a midnight move into its new, state of the art home in the new Royal.

The old department will close to walk in patients and those arriving by ambulance at 23.59 or 11.59pm on Wednesday 19 October and the new A&E department in the new Royal will open for patients at 0:00 or 12:00am on Thursday 20 October.

The A&E move is the final part of a 24-day plan in which patients from the old site have been moved into the new facility as part of a carefully planned operation.

A&E staff moving to the new hospital have undergone extensive training to ensure that they are familiar with their new department and are well prepared and supported to ensure they can provide patients with excellent care before, during and after the move.

The Trust has been working closely with colleagues in the North West Ambulance Service (NWAS), to support the changes and ambulance crews are fully aware of the move plan and times of when the old A&E closes and the new one opens.

The new A&E Department has been designed to provide rapid access to the right care for emergency and life-threatening cases. The new A&E is close to operating theatres, x-ray and other key departments meaning emergency patients will get faster access to the services they need.

James Sumner, Chief Executive Officer at LUHFT said: “Moving our A&E department is the final piece of the jigsaw for the move into our state of the art new Royal Liverpool University Hospital. Our new A&E is a massive improvement on the old one with more assessment areas and operating theatres and diagnostics close by, supporting faster access to essential services for emergency patients.

“Patients should still attend A&E at the old site until midnight on Wednesday 19 October and come to the A&E in the new Royal from 0:00 or 12:00am Thursday 20 October. If anyone is unsure about where to go for support, they should call NHS 111.

"We also want to remind people that our A&Es are for emergency and urgent cases and we would ask people with less urgent concerns to contact NHS 111 for advice on alternative services.”