£15m new unit will 'transform delivery of care' at Torbay Hospital

Torbay Hospital's £15 million state-of-the-art Acute Medical Unit (AMU) was officially opened this week.

The new facility has 36 assessment spaces allowing for patients to receive timely, high-quality care in the right place.

The project sees the hospital receive a modern and fit-for-purpose AMU split over two levels.

Opened on Tuesday, the AMU will see a wide variety of patients requiring varying levels of care, and the new unit will allow these patients to be treated in the most appropriate setting.

The unit will take referrals from both the hospital's emergency department as well as direct referrals from the community or other specialities.

The AMU is located alongside the emergency department because having the two units side-by-side will 'improve the flow of patients across the two departments allowing for more timely patient reviews and an overall enhanced patient experience' said a spokesperson for Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust.

Contractors Kier started work on the AMU in March, 2021, when Liz Davenport, chief executive at the trust, said: “The construction of Torbay Hospital’s new Acute Medical Unit will transform the delivery of care for both patients and staff.

"The new facility will help ensure that patients continue to receive a high level of care in the most appropriate setting, and I thank everyone involved in the project that has enabled us to get to this point.

“I look forward to seeing the benefits that this exciting development will bring for our patients, staff and visitors.”