A new medical day case unit has been approved for Warwick Hospital, as the NHS trust bids to ease pressure on its emergency department.

Warwick District Council has approved planning permission for the pre-fabricated building, adding another 12 beds to the Lakin Road site.

The medical day case unit (MDCU) is a consultant- and nurse-led facility which will deliver scheduled treatments to day patients.

This is across a range of specialist services, including gastroenterology, respiratory medicine, cardiology, rheumatology, endocrinology, and palliative care.

The MCDU will have 12 beds, two side rooms with one bed each, one triage room and one phlebotomy room.

"The unit plays a key role in enhancing hospital efficiency by helping to prevent unnecessary inpatient admissions, alleviating pressure on the emergency department, and improving the overall patient experience," the application from South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust said.

"Referrals to the MDCU are accepted from hospital specialists and general practitioners."

The unit will run from 8am to 8pm daily, but will not be used for overnight care.

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It will replace an existing linen store and bed decontamination unit.

Four locals had objected to the application, raising concerns about security and loss of privacy.

But council planners approved the scheme earlier this month.

"Subject to appropriate conditions the proposal is not considered to give rise to harm to the visual amenity of the area, will not give rise to harm to the amenity of neighbouring dwelling's, highways safety matters, flood risk, ecology impacts or climate change," a council report said.

"The proposal is therefore considered to represent a sustainable form of development and is considered acceptable within the context of national and local planning policies."