By Nick Horner

Copyright birminghammail

A brand new patient area has opened at a Birmingham hospital promising to vastly improve patient care. A new Medical Assessment Unit has opened at the site of a former medical records building at Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield . The old building was demolished to make way for a ‘light and spacious’ area with a larger waiting area, a quiet room for patients and their loved ones, and a new reception desk. Read more: Patients told ‘change your pharmacy’ after ‘considerable ongoing issues’ It sits just beyond the hospital’s A&E department and will take patients triaged in the emergency department and also those referred direct to the unit from GPs and other primary care medics. The new unit is part of a £4 million capital investment at Good Hope. It saw extensive excavation work completed with 531 tonnes of waste removed, and six modules craned carefully into place over an eight-hour period. The unit also includes a dedicated pharmacy room, nurse triage spaces and medical assessment rooms, which ‘improve patients’ privacy and dignity’. It opened to patients on Monday, August 18 and was officially opened by the Mayor of the Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield, Cllr Cindy Yip last Wednesday (September 17). Read more: Big name brand to leave shopping centre as more stores also depart Hospital Executive Director, Simon Jarvis, added: “This new clinical space represents a major step forward in how we care for patients who come to us in urgent need. “It has been designed to provide quicker assessment, faster access to treatment, and a smoother journey of care — all in a safe, modern environment that supports both patients and staff. “It reflects our ongoing commitment to providing high-quality, compassionate care to our community, opening a new chapter in how we deliver urgent and emergency care at Good Hope Hospital.” Good Hope worked in partnership with modular building manufacturer McAvoy for seven months, with the modules 70 per cent complete before leaving the factory. Final waste figures show that 99 per cent of waste was diverted from landfill, which a spokeswoman for Good Hops Hospital said was ‘an amazing feat and testament to both McAvoy and Good Hope Hospital’s green aspirations’. To further reduce carbon emissions, McAvoy used existing power supplies avoiding the need for temporary diesel generators during the construction process. A hospital spokeswoman said it and McAvoy were also ‘aligned’ when it comes to apprenticeships. University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Good Hope Hospital, was in the Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers last year and is the top NHS employer on the list, with more than 1,000 apprentices currently on a programme. McAvoy and their subcontractors used apprentices for both the factory and site build, providing vital training opportunities. Thomas Boyle, senior contracts manager from McAvoy, attended the official opening and said: “Working in close collaboration with the team at Good Hope Hospital, we were able to deliver a high-quality, sustainable facility. “With 70 per cent of the modules completed in our factory before arriving on site, disruption was kept to a minimum. “We’re also proud that the project supported the local economy, with 20 per cent of the workforce employed from within 15 miles of the site.”