Our plans at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary
Our plans for Huddersfield Royal Infirmary have included building a new A&E, by 2029 all planned care will be located here.
Our new A&E Department
Our new Accident and Emergency (A&E)
Our new Accident and Emergency (A&E) at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary (HRI) opened in May 2024.
The 24/7, purpose-built A&E serves people in Huddersfield and the surrounding area to give high-quality urgent and emergency care.
The state-of-the-art facility which is twice the size of the previous A&E which dated back to the 1960s. The much-improved facilities at HRI A&E include:
- a larger resuscitation area with four private bays
- a dedicated children’s area
- treatment rooms with sliding glass doors to improve privacy and dignity as well as infection control
- two state-of-the-art x-ray rooms
- a sensitively located bereavement suite for families.
Its new location means it is connected by a corridor to services in the main hospital, including CT and MRI scans, operating theatres, and ward areas.
You can watch a video on the Trust’s YouTube channel which takes you through what the A&E has achieved in the year since it opened.
The building has been designed with inspiration from the local area and with engagement from local people. The new A&E also won a title for the Best New Build and was also the overall winner at the 2024 Huddersfield Civic Society Design Awards.
Watch our Vitural Tours:
Take a look around our new A&E
Other developments and work on our wards and hospital site
Other development work at HRI
LED lighting installation:
The HRI site now has 100% LED lighting installation awarded via national funding for energy and carbon reduction from NHSi.
Roof Edge Protection:
All the main roofs at HRI now have full edge protection enabling safe access for maintenance and repairs.
Tarmacing of South Drive:
The lower South Drive car park main road has been resurfaced before the new A&E department opened.
Mammography:
The mammography equipment has been fully replaced and there has also been some refurbishment of the area.
Improved colleague changing facilities:
The HRI changing facilities on the basement floor of Block 1 have been upgraded. This includes a new shower and toilet cubicles, replacement flooring, lockers and decorating.
Improved retail:
Calderdale and Huddersfield Solutions (CHS) are now looking after the retail facilities at HRI and spent around £250,000 on refurbishments of the areas. The area includes new signage, decoration, flooring and furniture.
Fluoroscopy suite:
The fluoroscopy machine and full refurbishment of the area which includes new lighting, flooring, fire doors and decoration.
CHFT given Great British Energy grant to install rooftop solar panels at CRH and HRI
CHFT have been awarded a £1.1million grant by Great British Energy to install rooftop solar panels at CRH and HRI which will help to generate clean power and reduce our energy costs.
The funding is part of a Department for Energy Security and Net Zero announcement of up to £75 million of investment from Great British Energy and the government for multiple military sites, and more schools and NHS trusts, to roll out solar panels.
The NHS is the single biggest public sector energy user, with an estimated annual energy bill of around £1.3 billion, which has almost doubled since 2019.
Earlier this month, the government confirmed total funding for the solar scheme had increased to up to £255 million, allowing Great British Energy to support around 260 NHS sites, around 250 schools, and around 15 military sites.
As part of the expanded scheme, 34 NHS trusts will receive a share of up to £30 million.
You can read more about the Government scheme here: NHS sites to cut bills with Great British Energy solar panels - GOV.UK
New state of the art MRI scanner
The new scanner is a £1.8m investment to replace an aging scanner and is the latest advancement in MRI technology in the HRI Radiology Department. This ensures MRI is:
- More efficient – with faster scan times and streamlined workflows
- Clearer – offering enhanced image resolution and diagnostic precision
- More patient-friendly – through open designs and quieter scans
- Broader in clinical application – enabling earlier detection and improved monitoring across a range of condition
Service Lead, Mark Williams, said: "This new MRI scanner means CHFT are up-to-date with the latest MRI technologies. It means that our patients are getting the very best diagnostics tests available. Modern equipment such as this means we can keep on top of waiting lists, ensuring that we keep them going down."
Senior Estates Officer, Jammal Mohammed, said: "Working closely with our clinical team, we’ve designed a comfort-focused, patient-friendly MRI environment that prioritises both wellbeing and diagnostic excellence.
"The room features skylights and calming design elements which have been weaved together to help reduce anxiety and make the imaging process more relaxing for every patient.
"CHFT is leading and committed to delivering a modern MRI experience that leads to better care, earlier diagnosis, and improved outcomes using the latest technology."
New wellbeing garden opens at HRI
In June 2024, a new wellbeing garden for colleagues, patients and visitors opened at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary, thanks to donations to the CHFT Charity.
Built on the grounds of the old nurses’ accommodation on the north east of HRI, the garden is split into seven zones, providing spaces for socialising and gentle exercise, as well as seclusion and reflection. The designated areas are:
- Arrival and sensory zone
- Meeting and social zone
- Activity group zone
- Wildlife maze zone
- Physiotherapy zone
- Wildflower zone
- Quiet seating zone
Services at HRI were involved in the project to make sure we developed a garden that is multi-functional and meets a variety of patient, visitor and colleague needs.
HRI recognised as an official NHS Forest Site
HRI has been recognised as an NHS Forest Site as over 600 tree saplings have been planted across the HRI site, including at Acre Mills Outpatients. This includes fruit trees such as apples, plums, prunes, pears, and cherries. The extra trees are part of our commitment to support clean air and the Trust's green plan.
The NHS Forest is an alliance of health sites working to transform their green space to realise its full potential for health, wellbeing and biodiversity, and to encourage engagement with nature. Find out more on their website: What is the NHS Forest?
Upgrading our old A&E to provide a Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) service and an integrated flow hub
In October 2024 we opened our new Integrated Flow Hub which is located in our old A&E. The hub plays a key role in improving patient flow and easing pressure throughout the hospital. It brings teams together for the first time in one place, including our stakeholders in the community. The aim is to streamline processes and reduce pressure across the hospital, includig our A&E - giving the clinical team oversight on everything happening operationally that affects the running of HRI.
The new hub transforms the way we manage flow throughout HRI, with teams able to collaborate and make decisions much more quickly. It is home to a Digital Command Centre which will constantly display the all-important data we need to support decision making. There is also dedicated space for multi-disciplinary team (MDT) meetings.
The hub is home to:
- The Clinical Site Team
- The Discharge Lounge
- Frailty Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC)
- Medical SDEC
- Acute Response Team
There are also flexible spaces within the Hub to support demand.
Below you can see a photo of our teams on the opening day.
New non-surgical oncology ward
In June 2024 we opened a newly-refurbished inpatient unit for the specialist treatment of cancer at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary, in partnership with The Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust (MYTT).
The new beds and assessment unit supports people in Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield who need a hospital admission as part of their cancer treatment. The facilities will also help support the expanded provision of an Acute Oncology helpline, providing advice and support to patients.
Below is a photo of the official opening.
EV chargers at Acre Mills and our A&E department
In 2023, as part of the work on the new A&E at HRI, we installed new 22kWh faster chargers electric vehicle charging points for visitors, which also includes chargers in the Acre Mills Outpatient department car park.
A new Learning Centre
The original learning centre was located at the back of HRI site, and due to ongoing and costly maintenance it was decided to relocate the Learning Centre to the new restaurant (Southside Dining) in the HRI sub basement. This area already had toilet facilities and staff break out areas, a simulation suite and IT hub that had been created several years earlier.
The new Learning Centre is an educational and resource hub for colleagues and medical students.
In the new Learning Centre are:
- Private rooms, with a Doctors Mess room to provide privacy when required.
- A number of multi person and individual offices were also created in support of the department, with a new reception area.
- Forum resource room, selection of small and larger meeting rooms, one with a retractable wall to alter the size of the space to accomodate different group sizes.
- A boardroom and associated staff breakout area with refreshment kitchenette, and new accessible toilet.
- Refurbished courtyard with decking, external seating, planting and gradient access for wheelchair users.
It has given HRI a bright and welcoming learning environment in a central location within the hospital. It is also easier for visitors and colleagues to find and located with other facilities.
The images below show the meeting rooms, breakout space and external courtyard following refurbishment.
Newly refurbished Intensive Care Unit
In 2022 the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary had an extensive refurbishment which was the first upgrade in more than 20 years.
The work, which took only eight weeks, involved new flooring throughout, the replacement of fire doors and an all-round general upgrade. The kitchens and sluice areas have been renovated and new curtain-rails added to maximise space in the patient care areas and improve patient privacy and dignity.
Below you can see a photo of the opening.
The award winning Ward 18 project
The Ward 18 project at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary transformed an existing hospital ward, into a new treatment space for Covid patients, and was delivered quickly during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. The upgrade provided a 15-bed isolation ward with spacious ensuite bedrooms. The improved workspace also included a new staff room for rest and recuperatation.
The project scooped three Building Better Healthcare Awards 2021 for - Best Covid-19 Building Design, Best Covid-19 Project Team and the Clinician's Choice Award.