NHS chiefs are pumping £9.9 million into revamping rundown buildings at a Birmingham hospital.
Work has started on a £4.3 million transformation of the emergency department and A&E at Good Hope Hospital, in Sutton Coldfield.
At the same time, £5.6 million is being spent on new state-of-the-art operating theatres, a day case unit and surgical admissions unit.
Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust chiefs say the investment reinforces the long term future of the Sutton Coldfield site, which has been called into question by anxious residents since the Trust took over four years ago.
More than 80,000 patients a year are treated at the emergency department from across north Birmingham and south Staffordshire.
Dr Aidan MacNamara, emergency services consultant and clinical director, said: “The new emergency department will bring a host of benefits to our patients and staff, particularly when we are at our busiest during the winter months.
“We have had an opportunity to design an emergency department that reflects how we work now and how we want to in the future.
“The new department will help us to streamline our service once patients arrive, delivering faster, safer and more effective care for patients under our care.”
The emergency department will include more cubicles, a new dedicated paediatric area and links to the clinical decisions unit so investigations and treatment can be speeded up.
It is set to open in early 2013.
The theatre project will also be two new theatres, replacing two older ones, a new day case unit, a surgical admissions lounge for patients awaiting operations and a dedicated laparoscopic surgery facility.
It comes after a new four story intensive care, coronary care unit, a hyper acute stoke unit, clinical decisions unit and elderly care facilities at Good Hope opened earlier this year.
