The building offers modern, high-quality facilities and has been designed by the doctors and nurses to create the best environment to care for patients.

The department is 30 per cent bigger than the previous emergency department and offers dementia-friendly design and rooms with doors, rather than curtained cubicles, to increase privacy for patients.

There are separate waiting areas for children and young people and 14 paediatric patient rooms where they can receive care.

There are also two mental health liaison rooms offering private and appropriate spaces where nurses can assess people who need specialist care..

In addition the building includes a new Urgent Treatment Centre with six consultation rooms and a treatment room where people with more minor ailments can be looked after by staff.

Dr Kathryn Channing, lead Emergency Care consultant at Croydon Health Services NHS Trust: “The new department means our community have access to some of the best emergency care facilities in London.”

Matthew Kershaw, CHS new interim Chief Executive said: “As a Trust, we always put our patients needs first and that has led to the creation of this wonderful new Emergency Department which has been designed to ensure we can offer the best care and facilities to local people.”

The new Emergency Department is a welcome addition to existing urgent and emergency care services in the borough which also includes three GP hubs where people can get same day appointments.