Major plans to build a “world class” children’s heart unit at Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary have won the backing of city leaders.
Newcastle City Council has approved a vision that would see a state of the art, £40m centre built at the RVI – a critical development that will allow specialist children’s heart surgery services to stay in the North East. The government announced a significant cash injection in 2019 to enable the specialist unit to move from the Freeman Hospital to the Newcastle city centre site, though local NHS trust bosses say they are still waiting for a final seal of approval on the business case for the new facility before construction can begin.
In another boost for hopes of a significant revamp of the RVI, the city council has also granted permission this week for a new ‘Richardson Wing’ that could house hospital services including critical care, a burn ward, and maternity. However, the government is yet to commit any funding to that £190m project.
