More doctors, nurses and porters will be taken on in a £274,000 boost for Colchester General's casualty department.
And one member of staff will be taken on to ensure all accident and emergency patients are seen within four hours.
A spokesman for Essex Rivers Healthcare Trust, which runs the hospital, said today: "We are trying to iron out some of the bottlenecks in the system."
He added: "We want to get these people in place in the next six months or so."
The moves should see the department which is already hitting waiting time targets set by the Government improve further.
The money has been earmarked by Colchester and Tendring Primary Care Trusts, as well as Witham, Braintree and Halstead Care Trusts, from cash provided to the NHS by the Government.
More doctors and nurses are currently being sought, including an associate specialist - one grade down from a consultant - to work in the department.
Two skilled nurses are also being looked for, along with an emergency nurse practitioner, who will take on some duties normally carried out by doctors.
A nurse consultant will also be appointed specially for the accident and emergency department.
Doctors' time will be further freed by a new medical technician able to deal with some tasks like electrocardiograms and blood tests.
A spokesman for Colchester PCT said: "The accident and emergency department is one of Colchester Primary Care Trust's priority areas for investment and we are chanelling extra resources into it."
Published Tuesday, June 3, 2003
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