A TEESSIDE hospital's accident and emergency unit has had a facelift, following a £450,000 investment from the Department of Health's modernisation fund.

The improvements, at Hartlepool General Hospital, includes expanding the resuscitation facilities from two beds to four, as well as equipping it with the latest monitoring equipment.

X-ray facilities have also been provided.

A bereavement and counselling room has also been created, and improvements have been made to the separate children's area within the department, ensuring that it meets the highest safety standards.

A staff security system has been installed which is connected to the hospital's security department, in the event of an incident.

This ensures that assistance can be provided immediately in the event of a violent incident, and it is envisaged it will provide a direct link with Cleveland Police in the near future.

Staff facilities have also been developed, providing up-to-date on-call and study facilities for the medical and nursing staff.