MKUH Maple Centre sees and treats over 20,000 patients in first year of opening

Date: 31/10/2023

The Maple Centre at Milton Keynes University Hospital (MKUH) officially opened one year ago today (31st October 2023) and in the last 12 months*, more than 20,000 patients across Milton Keynes have benefited from the new facility – an average of 54 patients every single day.

The Maple Centre was designed to deliver an integrated approach to Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) for patients. SDEC is the provision of same day emergency care for those patients being considered for emergency admission and enables individuals to receive the treatment they need, without being admitted into the hospital. The service is located directly adjacent to the Emergency Department, offering a streamlined approach to urgent and emergency care.

Since opening on the 31st October 2022, over 20,000 patients have been seen and treated in the facility, the majority of which would have previously been cared for in our Emergency Department. Through the opening of the Maple Centre, and in particular the co-location of SDEC services on the ground floor, approximately 25% of patients are redirected from the Emergency Department every single day, ensuring that our patients are seen and treated in the most appropriate environments for their healthcare needs.

Joe Harrison, Chief Executive at MKUH, said: “The opening of our Maple Centre has been a fantastic addition to how we deliver emergency care and treatment to our local communities on the hospital site. As the population of our city continues to grow, it is vitally important that we appropriately expand our services to meet the changing health needs of our population.

“This is another example of how we are working collaboratively with local health and care partners to deliver the right services in the right place for our patients.”

The Maple Centre has been hugely popular with our patients, with 88% attending SDEC rating their experience as either ‘good’ or ‘very good’. In Ward 1, the 26 bedded ward on the top floor of the Maple Centre, that figure was 94%. As always, the feedback that we receive from patients allows us to understand how we can continually improve services and all views are used as part of our ongoing approach to service and quality improvement.

To find out more about the unit, visit our website: https://www.mkuh.nhs.uk/news/maple-centre-opening-patient-and-visitor-information

*Data captured up until 30th October 2023