Countess of Chester's new 'landmark' women and children's building opens

The £110m state-of-the-art building opens to patients for the first time

The Countess of Chester Hospital's eagerly-anticipated new state-of-the-art women and children’s building has opened to patients today (September 8). The new £110m building replaces the current women and children's building - constructed using crumbling concrete - which has been in use since 1971.

Funding for the three-storey building came from the National RAAC Programme which is providing cash for the replacement of buildings containing reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC). The now banned material is a special type of concrete that contains air bubbles and was frequently used to construct public buildings between the 1960s and 1990s.

The services currently based in the women and children's building, including maternity, neonatal, paediatrics and gynaecology, will be moving across. Hospital bosses say the new building will provide increased capacity and extra 'modern rest spaces' for patients, families and staff.

There will also be a new ground floor full delivery suite for 11 births, with two obstetric theatres and a first floor maternity ward with 24 single bedrooms, as well as en-suite accessible bathrooms. The new neonatal unit which will be located on the ground floor will have up to 16 cots, while the children's ward will be on the second floor.

Jane Tomkinson OBE, Chief Executive Officer, said: "Today, we have opened our new Women and Children’s Building to patients. It is a landmark new building that brings with it a new era for patient care – cementing our commitment to take a family-centred approach that will transform the experience for patients, families and staff alike.

"The new building replaces the existing facility, first constructed in the 1970s and which has now reached the end of its useful life. The new building is the result of years of careful planning, development and community collaboration.

"Designed with clinical expertise and patient experience at its heart, it will provide a bespoke, welcoming, safe, and modern healthcare environment that reflects the very best of contemporary clinical standards."

She added: "Our clinical teams have been carefully rehearsing scenarios and testing service provision in the new building to ensure that every aspect of care can continue seamlessly. Outpatient services opened to patients today with our maternity services opening tomorrow, Tuesday 9 September.

"Children’s services will move and open on Wednesday and Thursday and mark the end of the formal move into the new building. We recognise the significance of this change. This is more than a new building: it is a game-changing development that will have a lasting, positive impact on patient care, patient safety, and the quality of services we provide to local families.

"We are immensely proud of this achievement and grateful for the continued trust and support of our stakeholders. Together, we are ensuring that children and families in our community have access to healthcare that is not only clinically excellent but also delivered in an environment that reflects our commitment to compassion, safety, and innovation."

NEWSLETTER: Sign up for CheshireLive email direct to your inbox here