New hospital 'to be UK's most digitally advanced'

Original plans to redevelop Leighton Hospital in Crewe were unveiled almost four years ago

Plans are set to be unveiled for a new hospital that bosses say will be the most digitally advanced in the UK.

The new Leighton Hospital in Crewe will be the size of about 15 football pitches and sited on land next to the existing hospital, Chris Knights, programme director at Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust, said.

Plans are due to be submitted in April, with the aim for construction to begin at the end of 2026.

Mr Knights said the existing hospital would be demolished when the new one is ready to take patients.

Longer-term, he said, there was an expectation they would develop a campus for other health-related services, rather than selling the land for housing.

The new hospital will add an extra 50 beds, he said, which would take the overall number to 600, with its advanced digital status seen as key way to attract new staff.

Smartphone check-in

In addition, Mr Knights said patients would all be in single en-suite rooms.

"There's a really strong body of evidence that's coming out at the moment around single rooms and how falls can be managed in that space," he said.

He cited a healthcare facility in Harrogate, where £57,000 was saved by a ward over the course of a year by having remote monitoring.

Chris Knights said the facility would make use of smart monitoring and other digital innovations

Mr Knights said: "We have an ability, through video technology and also pressure pads in the floor, to be able to know when a patient needs assistance."

There would be a significant change for out-patients and no waiting room, he added.

Patients would check in on a smartphone, or volunteers would help with checking them in when they arrive.

Concerns were raised about patients feeling isolated in single rooms, but Mr Knights said there would be shared spaces on wards.

He added there would be no impact on services during the construction, and that he expected the transfer from the old to the new hospital to take about a fortnight once the facility is ready.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.