A rebuild of treatment areas at a Kent hospital’s A&E department as part of a £30 million revamp has been completed.

The latest phase of work at the QEQM hospital in Margate has seen millions invested into its emergency facility with thanks to funding from NHS England.

Between QEQM and the William Harvey hospital in Ashford, healthcare bosses have splashed out to boost the emergency department sections of the infirmaries over the last three years.

Dubbed ‘Phase 3a’, the most recent project at QEQM involved rebuilding the existing resuscitation unit, providing five new state-of-the-art resuscitation bays where some of the most critically ill patients in the hospital are treated.

Jo Williams, head of nursing for urgent and emergency care at the hospital, said: “We are delighted to be able to use our fantastic new resuscitation area, which offers a better environment for our patients and our hard-working teams.

“The refurbishment of the department has been a long-term project and we recognise it has meant some disruption, so we would like to thank everyone for their patience and support during the building work.

“Each phase’s completion has proved that it is worth it, and we are so grateful to WW Martin for their hard work and commitment to creating our vision.”

Other upgrades at the facility include a new commercial kitchen, storage spaces, accessible toilets and clean and dirty utility areas.

A new ambulance road has also been completed to provide direct access for emergency vehicles to the department’s new entrance.

This stage is the latest improvement, which has also seen major redevelopment of the major and paediatric areas thanks to an extension into a previous courtyard area.

The next and final phase will see two additional cubicles, relatives’ rooms and point-of-care-testing facilities added on as well as reinstating temporary areas.

If all goes to plan, it is hoped the works will be completed by early 2024.

Senior site manager Darren Offen from lead contractors WW Martin added: “It is great to reach this critical milestone in the project, and we are already working hard to progress the final phase.”