Vital storage which will make equipment and drugs easier to access in an emergency has been installed at West Suffolk Hospital thanks to the generosity of its Friends.

The specialist units have been added to all three main resuscitation bays in the Emergency Department (ED), while storage areas have also been upgraded with stacking units. The £42,000 project, which has brought the ED into line with best practice guidelines, has been funded by the Friends of West Suffolk Hospital.

The new units have been introduced to make it easier for staff to access medication and equipment, such as catheters, airway kits and drips, when they are treating patients with serious illnesses or injuries and time is critical.

They use colour-coded drawers so that staff can quickly find what they need, while the layout has been standardised so that clinicians will know exactly where each piece of equipment is kept, regardless of where they are working.

The long-term aim is to barcode all drawers, hooks and shelves, freeing up time currently spent carrying out stock checks by hand for nurses to spend with patients.

Carl Kwiatkowski, emergency department service manager at West Suffolk Hospital, said: “This modernisation project has made a huge difference to the care of our patients and our resuscitation area.”

Anyone interested in joining the Friends should contact voluntary services on 01284 713206. Visit www.friendsofwsh.org.uk for more information.