Bulldozers have moved in on part of Arrowe Park Hospital as part of a £28m upgrade which is set to "transform" urgent care in Wirral.
Wirral University Teaching Hospital Trust (WUTH), the trust which runs the hospital, submitted a planning application to Wirral Council to completely redevelop the Accident and Emergency unit and the Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC) earlier this year. Early enablement works have now been completed and demolition work began on the site yesterday (July 4).
It is the biggest investment in the hospital since it opened 40 years ago and will see the introduction of features such as a dedicated ambulance entrance, a larger ambulance set down area with greater capacity, and a single-entry point to ensure that patients are provided with the right care in the right place.
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The Emergency Department (ED) and the UTC will remain open and operational throughout the project. Any disruption caused is expected to be minimum.
WUHT has confirmed that the works are expected to last for approximately five weeks and no services at the hospital will be affected. Access points to patient facilities are clearly marked, and blue light emergency ambulance access will continue as normal.
The trust has stated that project, which is in collaboration with Wirral Community Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust (WCHC) and the Department of Health and Social Care, will "transform emergency care for the people of the Wirral".
Staff at the hospital will also benefit from improved working spaces in clinical areas, a dedicated staff entrance leading directly to the new welfare areas, refurbished training facilities, and open layouts to encourage collaborative teamwork.
Janelle Holmes, Chief Executive of WUTH, said: “The planned demolition is an exciting step towards delivering the new Emergency and Urgent Care facility at Arrowe Park Hospital. It is great to see this project developing, allowing us to transform emergency care for the people of the Wirral.”
The new building is set to be two storeys high, with the design of the exterior taking inspiration from geological elements found naturally in the local area such as sandstone.
Matthew Swanborough, Director of Strategy and Partnerships at WUTH, added “Due to the hard work of our dedicated colleagues across both NHS Foundation Trusts, and through the support of the local community and Wirral Council, we have been able to reach this first milestone in the project.
"I’d like to thank our patients, visitors and staff for their continued cooperation throughout this build.”
Construction work is set to start in September and the new facility is scheduled to open in March 2024.
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