Publish date: 8 July 2024
A new theatre suite has opened at Leighton Hospital in Crewe as part of the hospital’s ongoing commitment to modernise and improve maternity services.
The theatre will be used for elective surgeries, such as caesarean birth, and includes a 63m sq operating room with associated ancillary facilities.
The suite is connected to Ward 26, which is the main birthing facility at hospital.
With the new theatre now open, one of the department's two other operating theatres will undergo mitigation work due to the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) planks in the roof.
Once this mitigation work has been completed, the third theatre will close as it will no longer be required. This will mean the hospital will continue to have two theatres to support the needs of the local population.
Scott Malton, Chief Nursing Officer for Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Leighton Hospital, said: “The opening of this new theatre suite is great news, and shows our commitment to improving maternity services.
“Over the past few months, we have invested in our people, recruiting additional members to our midwifery team as well as employing extra members of staff to free up time to enable our midwives to focus on delivering babies and supporting our local mums.
“We have also expanded services, bringing in additional members of staff to support work in our maternity theatres, alongside making improvements within our maternity triage and waiting rooms.”
The project was delivered by ModuleCo, which is the healthcare division of BRG Technologies. It has been building specialist facilities for the healthcare sector for over 20 years.
Jonathan Brindley, Sales and Marketing Director at ModuleCo, said: "We are delighted to have worked in partnership with Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to deliver a cutting-edge modular operating theatre suite.
“The Trust has invested in a premium surgical facility which has been built to the highest standards in a tightly controlled manufacturing environment and fitted with the latest clinical equipment. It will provide the very best working and care environment for their staff and, most importantly, the patients they serve."
In May, the main entrance to Ward 26 reopened following the completion of the initial phase of work on the ward. Further RAAC mitigation work on the ward will continue in a number of stages, with all work expected to be completed by February 2025.
