Consultation starts on new hospital plans

The proposed new hospital would be built over six storeys and would provide the UK's "most digitally-advanced" facility

People in Crewe and mid-Cheshire are being invited to share their thoughts on plans for a new hospital as a public consultation opens.

Leighton Hospital, in Crewe, is to be replaced with what has been described as "the UK's most digitally-advanced" facility.

The project was added to the government's New Hospitals Programme because the hospital contains RAAC, an aerated form of concrete with a limited lifespan, leaving it at risk of collapse.

Events will be held to enable people to look at the plans and speak to the team working on the build, with the consultation running until 12 November.

Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is due to then submit a planning application to Cheshire East Council in December.

Leighton Hospital was built in the 1970s and is said to have RAAC in 60% of its buildings

The rebuild of Leighton Hospital was confirmed in 2023, with the government committing to the scheme a year later despite a review of the New Hospital Programme.

The hospital was built in the 1970s and 60% of its structures contain RAAC, which has a lifespan of about 30 years.

In 2023, the trust said more than £55m had been spent on stabilisation and repair work, with another £29m budgeted for the following year.

The new hospital is due to be built on land near the existing site, which is already owned by the trust.

It is expected the new hospital would open in the 2030/31 financial year.