 Portable buildings will be used to assess minor injury patients |
One of the busiest A&E departments in south Wales will be treating some patients in portable buildings while renovation work is carried out. People seeking treatment for minor injuries at the Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport will be treated in the fully equipped cabins.
Renovation work in the main building is due to take about 18 months.
More than 70,000 patients were seen in the A&E unit last year and it has been under increasing pressure.
Julian Hayman, from Gwent NHS Trust said that the portable buildings were being used while the renovation work was taking place to cope with demand at the unit.
"Basically the existing A&E needs to be redeveloped," he said.
"Eventually the whole department will be split into two, minor injuries and major. "The aim is that when the department is very busy the flow of patients will not be disrupted and the department will run more efficiently."
Work on the portable buildings being used as the temporary minor injuries treatment area is due to begin on Saturday and it is expected that patients will start being treated in them from March.
"There is a fair amount of building work and it could take up to 18 months to fully complete the redevelopment," said Mr Hayman.
"The work is being undertaken in phases in order to minimise disruption for patients.
"The first stage is to move the minor injuries work into portable buildings in front of the main A&E block.
"We apologies for any disruption whilst this work is being carried out but it is being done to eventually improve the service we offer," he added.
In February 2005, 10 ambulances had to wait outside the hospital "all day" before the patients could be seen because demand was so great at the unit.
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The aim is that when the department is very busy the flow of patients will not be disrupted
