Latest news with #NewHospitalProgramme
BBC News
2 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Plans for seven-storey Leicester Royal Infirmary building extension
Plans have been lodged to create a seven-storey extension to a building at Leicester Royal Infirmary (LRI). University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust (UHL) has submitted a planning application to Leicester City Council to construct an extension to the Windsor Building on the LRI documents stated the new space would house pharmacy services, laboratories and administrative space. According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), the scheme was needed to enable a wider overhaul of Leicester's three hospital sites under the government's New Hospital Programme by relocating services expected to be displaced by the wider works. The government announced in January the regeneration of Leicester's hospitals would be going ahead but on a delayed timeline, meaning work was expected to start between 2032 and 2034, the LDRS said. According to planning documents, the proposed extension was similar to a previous application submitted by the trust, which was approved but not implemented due to "funding constraints". Under the plan, the expansion would be built on the east wing of the building and a single storey building on the site would be demolished to make space for it.
BBC News
4 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
New Hinchingbrooke Hospital 'will transform care'
Plans for a new hospital to replace one severely affected by reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) will "transform" the way care is given, the project leader Hospital in Cambridgeshire was one of four in the East of England with Raac in some of its walls and roof, causing ongoing structural hospital in Huntingdon has been included in the first wave of the government's New Hospital Programme with construction due to start by is not yet known how long the build will take to complete but the cost could be up to £1bn. The new building will be on the southern corner of the existing site, so services can continue during the construction process. Deborah Lee, in charge of delivering the building project "on time and within budget", said the new plans represented a "really exciting step"."We are largely replacing most of the hospital... so, 75% of it is affected by... Raac, which means we need to replace that," she said. Most of the current hospital will be demolished under the new plans although newer parts such as the treatment centre and theatre block will be the existing hospital will not be demolished until the new one is built to try to minimise the disruption for patients. Staff accommodation will also be built before the old housing area is demolished to make way for the main hospital access roads and power will be built and installed."Really importantly, this is going to be a sustainable hospital - it will be 100% electric," Ms Lee is hoped construction could begin in 2028 but as a building contractor has not yet been appointed, she said the trust did not know how long it would take to complete the build. 'Transforming care' In terms of the cost, she said: "We've been given a budget and that range is from £500m to £1bn. "Modern building standards have changed dramatically since this hospital opened in 1984 so the main changes will be the amount of space there is, " Ms Lee added. The new hospital will have single rooms for all patients, rather than Lee added: "This is an opportunity not just to transform the buildings but to transform the way we deliver care, so we're working really closely with our clinical colleagues, with colleagues in general practice to really reimagine how we can deliver care."And patients are central to that - to reimagine together what 21st or 22nd Century care could look like." Sally Cotton, ward manager on the cardio-respiratory unit, said her ward had been moved so work on the Raac issues could take about the new hospital plans she said: "We're really, really excited. "We're all working closely with the teams to get everybody's idea forward - it's nice to be involved in those discussions."Having new technology and a new building would be "fabulous" she added. Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
01-08-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Initial designs published for new Hinchingbrooke Hospital
Designs have been published showing how a hospital severely affected by reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) could look like in the Hospital in Cambridgeshire was one of four in the East of England with Raac in some of its walls and roof, causing ongoing structural hospital in Huntingdon has been included in the first wave of the government's New Hospital Programme, with construction due to start in 2027 or new building will be on the southern corner of the existing site so services can continue in the meantime. The full plans for the project are yet to be published. An application for new staff accommodation has also been submitted ahead of the demolition of the existing residences to make way for the new Deborah Lee, senior responsible officer for the Hinchingbrooke redevelopment, said staff and public engagement events would be held in the autumn."This is an exciting and key step in the planning process for our new hospital and we are excited to share the potential plans and illustrate how we have taken a wide range of views on board," she said. Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
19-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Dorset County Hospital construction crane in place above market town
A 82ft (25m) tall crane will dominate the skyline of a historic market town for more than a crane, which has a 230ft (70m) span will be used in the construction of the next phase of Dorset County Hospital in was lifted into place this week by another crane, with a small team of people bolting each section into place, where it is expected to stay for the next 15 of lifting up to 16 tonnes, it will be used for loading deliveries and lifting heavy materials. The hospital expansion project will see a new emergency department and critical care unit built, as part of a £100m project funded through the government's New Hospital Programme."Increasing demand is putting extra pressure on our emergency department, which treats twice as many people as it was built for," the hospital previously said in a added: "Demand is expected to rise, so investment is vital to make sure we can meet our patients' needs."The two new units are being built on the former site of Damers School and will link to the existing building will feature a helicopter landing pad on its roof and a new ambulance facility alongside the building. You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
The NHS rule change that will finally see hospitals across Greater Manchester transformed
Greater Manchester could see four major hospital rebuilds and new developments amid changes to frustrating rules that stopped the region from transforming crumbling buildings. After a years-long mission to get the funding, and a Manchester Evening News campaign, up to £1.5bn was finally approved by the government for the overhaul of the Victorian-era North Manchester General Hospital. But NHS capital spending rules have prevented three other major hospital building projects in Greater Manchester. Changes to those rules could break logjams for Stepping Hill Hospital, Wythenshawe Hospital, and The Christie Hospital, says the region's NHS chief. READ MORE: Why is the M60 still closed after 24 hours? READ MORE: Second boy, 16, who died in railway tracks tragedy named as family pay moving tribute That could pave the way for huge rebuilds needed by patients and staff to make their hospital fit for the modern day, adds the health boss. Last year, staff at Stepping Hill units were forced to move patients out and close because of structural degradation. One outpatient building of the Stockport hospital had to be demolished because it was too unsafe to be used. Never miss a story with the MEN's daily Catch Up newsletter - get it in your inbox by signing up here The government announced its 10-year plan for the health service – after a year of promising a vision that could save a limping NHS. After six years of planning and waiting for the go-ahead, the proposals to rebuild North Manchester General Hospital through the government's New Hospitals Programme at last got confirmed funding earlier this year. But the chief executive of NHS Greater Manchester, Mark Fisher, has previously railed against NHS red tape preventing construction at Stepping Hill, Wythenshawe Hospital, and The Christie. Those building projects rely on capital spending – different from the government's ringfenced New Hospital Programme, which only includes a small number of chosen hospitals around the country. Capital spending is the funding allocated for long-term investments in fixed assets, such as new buildings, major equipment, and IT infrastructure. It's different from revenue spending, which covers day-to-day operations. The plan pledges to set health bosses free from those tight capital spending rules that have prevented progress. 'I do think that this is a really important part of the plan,' Mr Fisher told the Manchester Evening News. 'In this year we've had more capital than we've had for many years before. We're getting more NHS capital… '[The plan] talks about wider partnerships in terms of capital funding. I'd call out two really big examples. The Manchester University Foundation Trust has got really exciting plans to rebuild the Wythenshawe Hospital. 'That relies on working with partners, and the words of the plan, if we can deliver on them, will allow a massive, significant rebuild of that hospital. 'The same is true of Stepping Hill in Stockport. [With] those two hospitals together, I'm really excited about the potential we've now got for making big moves on the hospital estate – alongside the exciting plans we already have for North Manchester, which are already in the NHS programme. 'You can see that building has already started there and that's a really exciting programme. But I'd be delighted if we can make progress on three big hospital rebuilds, not just the one. So I think those things coming together are really exciting for us.' Those 'wider partnerships' mentioned by the government in the 10-year plan have prompted concern, as it appears to encourage private funding for big projects. The NHS' private finance initiative (PFI) scandal through the 2000s led to projects built with high interest rates, meaning debts of millions for hospitals. Those increased costs resulted in the slashing of services and even hospital closures. However, funding does not strictly have to come from private sources, Mr Fisher reminds says. The 'words in the plan' make more room generally for capital spending wherever the money is coming from, says the health boss. 'It doesn't need to be [privately financed], actually. The plan in Stockport relies on local government as our partner, actually. '[It's] not necessarily private partners. The plan in Wythenshawe is a bit more complicated.' Alongside the hospitals crying out for major refurbishments, The Christie will be able to start developing new buildings that it has long had £100m of its own money for – another project that might not need private backing. 'The Christie also has big capital plans, which I'm hoping the 10-year plan will allow now to be fulfilled. That bit of the plan is really exciting,' says Mr Fisher. 'The Christie plan is actually all about spending the money it's already got. It has the cash in the bank, it cannot spend it because of the way the capital rules work. 'A lot of that has been raised charitably. That's the issue for The Christie. This plan gives them the opportunity to really enhance cancer services in Greater Manchester and well-beyond. 'The Christie is a world-leading cancer hospital and for them, and for all of us, that's really exciting.' The North Manchester General Hospital rebuild was so close to starting, with much groundwork already completed, many people think it was the key to keeping the pressure on the government to finally approve the full funding this year. Mr Fisher says that approach must continue for the other hospitals awaiting development. I just think we need to make as much progress as we possibly can every year,' he said. 'With those capital projects, we need to get boots on the ground. These things have a momentum of their own once you start them. 'We need to create another momentum about this plan that it's like a no-brainer to just carry on with it. You can see the seeds in this plan in Greater Manchester going back over the last few years – the focus on prevention, the focus on neighbourhood health. 'We've been at that in Great Manchester since the early years of devolution. So I think this has got a history as well as a future.'
