A NEW unit opened at a Suffolk hospital to take pressure off emergency staff.

The new medical treatment unit (MTU) at West Suffolk Hospital has nine beds and eight recliners to cater for up to 17 patients at a time.

Staff manning the centre will be able to carry out a wide variety of procedures for patients who do not need an overnight stay in hospital.

The opening means the hospital will have more space on its emergency assessment unit, where many of these procedures have had to be undertaken until now.

The types of work carried out on the MTU include blood transfusions, biopsies and infusions.

Specially trained staff on the unit will also be able to administer intravenous antibiotics and carry out a variety of tests, including growth hormone, calcium absorption, blood glucose and peripherally inserted central catheter line checks.

Cheryl Rushby, service manager for specialist medicine at the hospital, said: “Our new MTU caters for a wide range of patients with diverse needs, and offers a variety of different procedures which would otherwise need to be carried out on a ward or in our emergency assessment unit.

“For example, patients who need regular infusions would previously have needed to visit the wards several times during the course of their treatment. The vast majority of these patients will now come to the MTU instead, which allows staff on the wards to concentrate on meeting the needs of those patients who have been admitted into the hospital.

“The MTU is already bringing huge benefits to patients by providing them with care in the most appropriate place to meet their needs. It is also ensuring that beds on the wards remain available for those people who do need to stay in hospital overnight.”