Worthing Hospital has officially opened its new Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC), delivered by Morgan Sindall Construction, for University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (UHSussex).
The single-storey, steel-framed facility, procured through the SCAPE construction framework, will treat up to 40,000 patients a year.
It brings the UTC alongside the Emergency Department, improving patient flow and supporting the hospital’s growing demand for urgent care.
According to Morgan Sindall, Worthing’s Emergency Department is the busiest in West Sussex, with around 100,000 visits annually and demand rising by 5 per cent each year.
The new centre includes a waiting area, eight consultation rooms, a dedicated paediatric waiting space, and clinical support facilities.
To build the unit, Morgan Sindall relocated the hospital’s existing A&E entrance and carried out complex works in a live environment. Measures included scheduling noisy activity around peak times and rerouting blue light access.
Additional elements of the construction process that required careful attention included reducing noise and vibration to the nearby A&E, maternity, pre-natal ward, and X-ray areas.
At the opening ceremony, Trust staff cut the ribbon before touring the new facilities with the project team.
Guy Hannell, Area director for Morgan Sindall Construction in the Southern Home Counties, said: “It’s a fantastic accomplishment to celebrate the opening of Worthing Hospital's new Urgent Treatment Centre. This project is so important to deliver the facilities and treatment that the local community needs, and it’s been a pleasure to work closely with Worthing Hospital to coordinate the construction process in a live hospital environment.”
Roy Evans, director of Capital Development and Property at UHSussex, added: “We’ve been very pleased with Morgan Sindall Construction’s performance on this scheme with minimal disruption to the adjacent Emergency Department and other departments within the hospital. The design includes the latest healthcare aspects and supports us in providing an excellent environment for our staff, patients and the community as well as meeting new sustainability targets.”
The UTC scheme is the latest in a series of healthcare projects Morgan Sindall has delivered with UHSussex, including new facilities at St Richard’s Hospital, Chichester, and Southlands Hospital.
