Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the planned new accident and emergency department at Ipswich Hospital on (a) ambulance waiting times and (b) capacity pressure at the hospital.

East Suffolk and North Essex Foundation Trust (ESNEFT) have considered the impact of the planned new accident and emergency department at Ipswich hospital on ambulance waiting times and capacity pressures as part of the NHS England assurance process.

ESNEFT anticipates that the new Urgent Treatment Centre at Ipswich hospital will ease pressure on the hospital’s Emergency Department, freeing up staff to focus on providing care for the most critically ill and seriously injured patients.