Hospital buys land to prepare for rebuild

The areas of land around the Crewe site will become part of the new Leighton Hospital, the NHS trust said

A hospital has bought plots of land surrounding its site in preparation for rebuilding work.

Leighton Hospital in Crewe, Cheshire, is set to be rebuilt as it is deemed to be at risk of collapse due to deteriorating concrete.

Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust (MCHT) said buying the land was a "major milestone" in removing its risk from reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) and preparing for a new hospital.

Work could now begin on finalising plans for a "world-class" health and care campus for the local community by 2030, stated the trust.

The newly-purchased land would form part of the new Leighton site and would be surrounded by dedicated fencing, said MCHT.

Local organisations, schools and charities were set to be consulted on proposals for the new campus and the services it would offer, said chief medical officer Dr Clare Hammell.

"By working together to design services, we can ensure that our plans transform services for people’s needs today and those of our communities in the future," she said.

Limited lifespan

The current hospital was built in the 1970s and more than 60% of the site has Raac in its roof and walls.

In 2023, MCHT said more than £55m had already been spent on stabilisation and repair work in wards and departments - with another £29m budgeted for the current financial year.

The efforts include inspections of Raac in the building and measures to stop collapses, the trust previously said.

Leighton Hospital is one of five sites across England set to be rebuilt as part of the government's new hospital programme due to the fact they were built with the lightweight concrete.

The material, which has bubbles inside like "a chocolate Aero bar", has a limited lifespan.

The replacement "state-of-the-art" facility planned for the Middlewich Road site would enable the "transformation" of healthcare, stated MCHT.