Havering’s A&E department has been given £1million from the Department of Health (DoH), to continue a pioneering project to cut waiting times.

The DoH announced yesterday the allocation of £55m of capital funding for emergency departments from the chancellor’s Spring Budget, to tackle this year’s winter pressures.

Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust (BHRUT), which has consistently missed the 95 per cent target to deal with A&E patients, was one of the highest recipients.

The trust said the money would go towards further innovations of the emergency department at Queen’s Hospital, Rom Valley Way, Romford.

Over the past year more consultants have been deployed to the waiting area to quickly assess whether patients need to visit A&E, or they can be dealt with by a GP or pharmacy.

In October this led to waiting times being cut by 21 minutes, and 48 minutes in the children’s emergency department.

BHRUT will restructure the waiting area, and install desks to allow for quick assessments by doctors.

The trust is putting in an extra £300,000 of its own money, and the paediatric section of A&E will be overhauled as well.

Sarah Tedford, chief operating officer at BHRUT, said: “The redesigned, enlarged areas within the emergency department will be much better for our patients.

“Walk in patients will benefit from a new dedicated entrance to the enhanced urgent care centre.

“We will be able to increase the numbers of emergency consultants and GPs on the front desks to help patients as soon as they arrive, and we will be able to offer this service for longer every day, in an improved environment.

“It’s a huge step forward and will help us continue to manage the ever increasing numbers of patients who present at our emergency departments, and ensure they are given the right care in the right location.”

A BHRUT spokesman said the restructure would be complete by the end of autumn.