ACCIDENT and Emergency at Taunton’s Musgrove Park Hospital will be better place to cope with increased patient numbers following a £2.9million expansion project.

Four new treatment bays go live today (December 19) to enable staff to treat critically ill or seriously injured people, along with three ambulance handover bays and an additional resuscitation facility to deal with trauma patients.

Consultant Dr Jon Tipping said: “The new facilities mean we’re now better equipped to treat the increasing numbers of seriously ill or injured people we’re seeing.

“The numbers of people visiting our emergency department has been rapidly increasing over the years, and so the additional treatment bays will really help us to cope with demand.”

The scheme has been funded by savings and money from the former NHS Somerset Primary Care Trust.

And the League of Friends have donated £422,000 for new equipment.