A NEW acute admissions department for West Herts hospitals is beginning delivery this week – on the back of a lorry. The ultra-modern, 120-bed unit, believed to be the largest in the country, will be linked to the existing A&E department at Watford Genera

A NEW acute admissions department for West Herts hospitals is beginning delivery this week - on the back of a lorry.

The ultra-modern, 120-bed unit, believed to be the largest in the country, will be linked to the existing A&E department at Watford General Hospital where it will serve patients in St Albans and Hemel Hempstead.

It is being delivered by road to the hospital in 150 steel-framed modular units and will be craned into position over a three-week period.

The West Herts Hospitals Trust chose that particular method of off-site construction to avoid as much inconvenience as possible. Only the foundations need to be laid on the site prior to delivery.

The new facility will be the "front door" for the majority of patients requiring emergency treatment and will offer rapid assessment and diagnosis by a consultant from the onset of a patient's admission.

It will also house two catheterisation labs offering angioplasty to heart-attack victims and diagnostic testing such as X-ray, CT, ultrasound and blood tests will also be available for a longer period of the day.

The acute admissions department, which will be launched later this year, will be open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and will include a pharmacy with robotic dispensing.