Leighton Hospital development completes

The £22.8m development of an operating theatre and intensive care building at Leighton Hospital in Crewe has completed, with the first operations taking place in the building this week.

The building was designed by AFL Architects and delivered by Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust's construction partner Interserve Construction.

The scheme has replaced previous facilities which the Trust said would help it to meet the expected rise in demand for critical care and theatre services over the next ten years.

The building includes eight operating theatres, 14 recovery bed spaces and 14 critical care bed spaces.

The project was supported by £21.69m in Government funding announced in March 2012. Construction began in January 2013.

Tracy Bullock, chief executive of MCHFT, said: "I am immensely proud of the new facilities that we've been able to provide here. Not only do our patients now have fantastic, state-of-the-art treatment options on their doorstep, but they also have the security of knowing that they will be fit-for-purpose and available for many years to come."

Sheldon Walsh, healthcare director of AFL Architects, said: "We were very pleased to have been an integral part of the team successfully delivering this state-of-the-art facility on behalf of the Trust. The critical care and theatre environments created will undoubtedly receive recognition for being exemplar of that type in the UK."[IMG: border=”0″ align=”right” alt=””]