Just after midnight on 22 May 2025, the Accident and Emergency (A&E) at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary (HRI) marked one year since the new department opened to patients.
Since the new department opened a year ago, nearly 90,000 patients have come through the door, including 15,000 children who have been seen in the dedicated new children’s area. 13,500 people have been treated for minor injuries such as broken bones and cuts, and over 21,000 ambulances have dropped patients off for urgent and emergency treatment.
Dr Mark Davies, Consultant in Emergency Medicine and Clinical Lead for the new A&E project said: “It is fantastic to see how far we have come over the year. It’s a facility we can all be proud of, and it’s reflected in the wonderful feedback from our patients around how the environment has improved people’s experience of using A&E.
“The number of people we serve in greater Huddersfield is around 245,000, so it really puts into perspective the amount we do in our department. I would like to thank the public for continuing to use their local A&E wisely, helping us prioritise care for those who need it the most.”
To celebrate, the A&E team have been reflecting on the kind words and feedback from patients. Over the year they have heard about the positive environment and impressive facilities, as well as the compassionate and person-centred care given by the team.
Head Nurse for Medicine, Tom Ladlow, said: “One thing I consistently hear from our patients is just how reassuring and compassionate all our team are. We have 100 different staff roles who all play a part in running our A&E - from doctors, nurses, physiotherapy, administration and estates staff. They are a wonderful team who have really made our new department a calm and friendly place for our patients to be cared for in what we know can be a stressful time.”
It’s not just patients and colleagues who are feeling the benefits, the planet is too. Over 150kg of CO2 has been saved over the year as the A&E is completely powered by renewable energy. That is about the same as driving more than 350,000 miles in a truck.
Mark adds: “The benefits of our new A&E have been far reaching. We’re seeing how it’s making a difference to our colleagues who work in the department, especially around wellbeing. We’ve also seen how the build itself has realised over £20 million of benefits to the local economy through, among other elements, creating 180 local employment opportunities and more than 5,000 hours of apprenticeship training.”
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.
You can watch a video on the Trust’s YouTube channel which takes you through what the A&E has achieved over the last year.
A virtual tour of the A&E is also available on the Trust’s YouTube channel. There is also a children’s video tour, told through the eyes and voice of a child.
