Cheshire & Merseyside Surgical Centre at the Victoria Infirmary in Northwich is on track to open in the Spring 2025.
Initially, Mid Cheshire Hospital’s NHS Foundation Trust contracted Kier on a short-term contract to begin work on the centre, which began in January 2023.
This was while design work was undertaken and the main programme of works was finalised.
Now under the new extended contract, Kier will complete the build.
The historic Verdin Ward, located on the same site, will also be fully refurbished as part of the development.
Kier is on track to complete Cheshire & Merseyside Surgical Centre
Work on the centre has achieved several milestones, including a new slate roof, timber windows, and the façade refurbishment of the Verdin Ward, and the completion of the structural frame and roof which now makes the new build watertight.
The facility is being built thanks to £18.2m of funding received from NHS England, via NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board.
The Centre will provide state-of-the-art clinical areas to support patient care, including two theatres covering ophthalmology, orthopaedics, pain, ENT, dermatology, and general surgery. There will also be a recovery area and consulting rooms.
The Trust aims to treat a large number of ‘high volume low complexity’ patients from across the region who require less complex operations and procedures.
The centre will become a cataract centre of excellence
This will help reduce waiting times for patients, with an immediate focus on those who have been waiting 52 weeks for treatment.
The Trust also aims to reduce the overall backlog and will treat around 12,000 patients each year.
The centre will become a cataract centre of excellence, providing eye care for people across the region.
This will mean there will be fewer people waiting for eye surgery across the region, as well as greatly improving patient care, and reducing pressures on other parts of the system.
Work on the centre has achieved several milestones, including a new slate roof, timber windows, and the façade refurbishment of the Verdin Ward
Gemma Lees-Morgan, General Manager of the Victoria Infirmary, said: “The development of the surgical centre is a key priority for the Trust, so having Kier on board to complete the work is fantastic news. The Victoria Infirmary is hugely important to our local communities, and the development of the surgical centre supports our ambition of bringing care and services closer to home.”
Sarah Morton, Regional Director at Kier Construction North & Scotland, said: “This is a really important scheme for Northwich that will help the Trust reduce surgery waiting times for patients, and I’m so proud of the progress the team has made so far."
Morton added: "We have a wealth of knowledge and expertise when it comes to creating healthcare facilities that are modern and sustainable for staff, patients, and their families. I look forward to our continued partnership with the Trust to drive improvements in patient care.”
The video below shows a time-lapse of the latest development on the Cheshire & Merseyside Surgical Centre build.
Top image: Screenshot from video
