Once completed, the new purpose-built centre – which will provide improved facilities and a better environment and experience for patients with non-life-threatening illnesses and injuries – will replace the RUH’s current UTC, which is currently based within its Emergency Department.
By providing a clear separation between patients needing life-saving care and those needing urgent but non-life-threatening care when they first arrive at the hospital, RUH hopes to reduce waiting times. To support this aim, RUH clinical teams are working to simplify the patient journey and streamline ways of working.
Other benefits of the new building will include better privacy, waiting, assessment, and treatment environments for patients, improved infection prevention and control through purpose-built accommodation, and better working conditions for staff.
The new UTC, scheduled to open late December 2026, represents a significant investment in urgent and emergency care at the RUH thanks to £12m of national investment from the DHSC. The modular buildings which will make up the new UTC are being provided by specialist healthcare infrastructure provider Vanguard Healthcare Solutions.
RUH MD John Palmer said: “The start of construction work marks a major milestone in the RUH’s plans to further improve its urgent and emergency care services for our patients.
“The new Urgent Treatment Centre will make a really positive difference to our patients and underlines our ambitions to deliver more efficient and effective care while improving access to care and treatment through investing in our estate.
“Importantly, by moving the new UTC out of our emergency department we will free up more space in our busy A&E, enabling our clinical teams there to care more effectively for seriously ill and injured patients.
“But this is about more than just a new building – we are also transforming the way we work to ensure we continue to deliver the highest quality care for our patients as soon as they arrive at our front door.”
Simon Squirrell, UK business director, Vanguard Healthcare Solutions, said: “We’re delighted to be working in partnership with the RUH to deliver its new Urgent Treatment Centre.
“Our focus is on providing a high-quality clinical facility that supports the Trust’s ambitions for urgent and emergency care, while minimising disruption to patients, staff and existing services during construction. We look forward to seeing the new centre become an important part of the RUH estate.”