Publish date: 2 February 2023
Centre will take patients from Cheshire and Merseyside regions
Enabling works to create a new surgical centre at Northwich’s Victoria Infirmary (VIN) have begun this week following initial planning approval by Cheshire West and Chester Council.
Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has received more than £14m funding to create a new surgical day centre – which will be known as The Cheshire & Merseyside Surgical Centre at Victoria Infirmary - the third such centre in the region. Other centres are the newly opened facility at Clatterbridge and a centre to be developed at Whiston Hospital.
The proposed development comprises a range of state-of-the-art clinical areas to support patient care, including two theatres covering ophthalmology and general surgery, recovery area and consulting rooms.
The new centre will be constructed using modern methods of construction with prefabricated elements, reducing time for completion and disruption to existing services. It is intended that the historic Verdin Ward, located on the same site, will be fully refurbished.
Ian Moston, Chief Executive said: “We are delighted to have been selected as a strategic location for one of the Cheshire and Merseyside Surgical Centres. This development will enable many more patients to have their procedures, reduce waiting times and backlogs and significantly enhance patient experience.
“Located on what we refer to as a ‘cold’ site, operations will be protected from the urgent and emergency care pressures at Leighton Hospital and other hospitals which can cause cancellations due to lack of bed availability.
“The new centre, along with the recent investment and creation of our Community Diagnostic Centre at the VIN supports our ambition of bringing crucial health services closer to home”
Rowan Pritchard-Jones, Medical Director for NHS Cheshire and Merseyside, said: It’s fantastic to see that work has started to create the Cheshire and Merseyside Surgical Centre at Victoria Infirmary. Once open, this facility will provide quicker access to care for thousands of patients, improving patient experience and outcomes, whilst significantly improving the waiting list position across Cheshire and Merseyside.
Karen Bowman, General Manager of the VIN added: “We are acutely aware of the historical and community importance of Verdin House and the park.
“We have worked closely with Council officers throughout the process to ensure that the enabling, demolition and construction works will be carried out sympathetically and with sensitivity to the environment.
“We know how important the VIN is to our local communities and we will ensure that we keep people updated and informed about the progress as well as identifying opportunities to share thoughts and feedback. Meanwhile we are grateful to our patients, visitors and staff for their patience while these works are carried out.”
Enabling works to prepare the site as part of wider scheme include the establishment of the site compound and the removal of a number of trees for which planning permission has been received. A landscape architect has been involved from the outset which will ensure there is a is a biodiversity net gain on site upon completion of the overall project; this will be achieved through a combination of replanting trees, shrubs and a combination of soft and hard landscaping.
The project is expected be completed in the Spring-Summer of 2024. The main contractor is Kier.
