Births, Emergency, And Critical care, and Children’s Health

The Royal Bournemouth Hospital is set to enhance pediatric emergency care with the introduction of a dedicated children’s emergency center within its new BEACH Building.

The BEACH Building, an acronym for Births, Emergency, And Critical care, and Children’s Health, is a six-story facility designed to transform healthcare services across Dorset. This state-of-the-art building will house purpose-built maternity and children’s units, an expanded emergency department, and one of the largest critical care units in the country.

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The children’s emergency center, scheduled to open in April 2025, aims to provide specialised, child-friendly emergency services. The design includes indoor and outdoor play areas equipped with interactive game consoles, arts and crafts materials, and child-friendly furnishings, creating a comforting environment to alleviate the stress associated with hospital visits.

By consolidating emergency services in this advanced facility, the hospital expects to improve patient outcomes and reduce wait times for approximately 150,000 emergency and urgent care patients annually.

The development of the BEACH Building is part of a broader £500 million investment to reconfigure healthcare services across University Hospitals Dorset’s sites in Christchurch, Bournemouth, and Poole. This initiative reflects a significant commitment to enhancing healthcare infrastructure and delivering high-quality care to the community.

To further support this transformative project, the University Hospitals Dorset NHS Charity has launched the BEACH Appeal, aiming to raise £1.5 million. This fundraising effort seeks to provide additional items and enhancements for the new building, ensuring that patients, staff, and visitors benefit from a facility equipped beyond the standard NHS provisions.

The establishment of the children’s emergency center within the BEACH Building signifies a substantial advancement in pediatric emergency care for the region, underscoring the hospital’s dedication to meeting the evolving needs of its youngest patients.