A new, state-of-the-art Accident and Emergency (A&E) department at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary (HRI) will open to the public on Wednesday 22nd May.
The new facility will open to patients just after midnight. The 24/7, purpose-built A&E will serve the people of Huddersfield and the surrounding area, enabling the provision of high-quality urgent and emergency care for local people.
All services currently based in the existing A&E on North Drive will transfer across to the new facility on South Drive when it opens for patient care.
The new A&E is a much-needed replacement for the existing department, which dates back to the 1960s. It is in a brand-new location on South Drive, easily accessed from Acre Street with parking for cars and ambulances.
The new A&E at HRI is almost twice the size of the current department, and has much-improved facilities, including:
- a larger resuscitation area with four private bays
- a dedicated children’s waiting area
- treatment rooms with sliding glass doors to improve privacy and dignity
- two state-of-the-art x-ray rooms
- a sensitively-located bereavement suite for families.
The building has been designed with inspiration from the local area and with engagement from local people. The new A&E recently won the title for the Best New Build and was also the overall winner at the 2024 Huddersfield Civic Society Design Awards.
Its new location means it will be connected by a corridor to services in the main hospital, including CT and MRI scans, operating theatres, and ward areas.
Dr Mark Davies, Consultant in Emergency Medicine and Clinical Lead for the A&E development at CHFT, said: “The new, full-service Accident and Emergency department will be staffed by specialist doctors and nurses trained in emergency medicine.
“It will enable the hospital to better meet the needs of the people of Huddersfield and the surrounding area. It’s your A&E – please use it wisely and help us prioritise those who need it most.”
Anna Basford, Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Transformation at Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust (CHFT), said: “We are really looking forward to opening the new A&E to the public in just a few short weeks.
“Hundreds of local people came to look at the facility during the public open day in September and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. This is a facility that the people of Huddersfield can be proud of.”
Works on the new A&E have been completed by Integrated Health Partners (IHP). The suppliers and construction partners which supported the build along the way were almost exclusively local, generating income into the local economy and providing employment opportunities for people in our local area.
The development is part of a £200 million investment to ensure that Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust and its partners can provide the best hospital and community healthcare for patients and families for future generations.
