New hospital could cost £1.5bn, government says

A new hospital in Cheshire could cost as much as £1.5bn to build, according to a report published by the government.

The document said construction of Leighton Hospital in Crewe could begin in 2027, with cost estimates of between £1bn and £1.5bn.

Bosses previously said the site would provide the most digitally advanced hospital in the UK.

It will be positioned on land next to the existing hospital and forms part of the government's New Hospital Programme.

The scheme, first announced in October 2020, was set to deliver 40 new hospitals across the country by 2030, although some of these were later identified as being refurbishments or extensions of existing sites.

"The NHS is quite literally crumbling," said Health Secretary Wes Streeting, describing the need for new facilities.

"I have visited hospitals where the roof has fallen in, pipes regularly leak and even freeze over in winter."

Streeting said seven hospitals constructed using reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), including Leighton Hospital, would continue to be prioritised in the programme.

The material, which is a cheaper and less durable alternative to concrete used in construction between the 1950s and 1990s, made headlines last year over potential safety issues.

Plans for the Crewe hospital are due to be submitted in April, according to Leighton Hospital bosses.

An extra 50 beds will be added, according to Chris Knights, programme director at Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust, taking the overall number to 600.

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