Work has started on a £16 million improvement project at Aintree University Hospital which has been designed to reduce waiting times in the Emergency Department and deliver better care for patients.

A two-storey extension alongside the existing Emergency Department will include new hybrid operating theatres, which will support the delivery of specialist surgical services, as well as the refurbishment of the existing theatre complex.

The additional space in the department means waiting and assessment areas can be expanded, allowing patients to be seen and treated according to their needs in a more efficient way.

The improvements also include a new CT scanner for assessing potential strokes and increased capacity for ambulance drop-off bays.

The hospital hosts the Cheshire and Merseyside Major Trauma Centre, which provides major trauma services to a catchment area of 2.3m residents in the North West and Isle of Man. Its Emergency Department had more than 89,000 attendances last year.

Sir David Dalton, Interim Chief Executive of Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “I’m delighted that work has started on this project, which is an important part of our strategy to provide outstanding healthcare for the people of Liverpool.

“This expansion will improve the delivery of high-quality emergency care and forms part of a major investment at our Aintree site to improve our facilities and infrastructure, ultimately ensuring patients get access to the right expertise as efficiently as possible.”

The Emergency Department work will be delivered in several phases to minimise disruption and is due to be completed in 2023.

The renovation of Aintree’s 125-foot tower block, which will extend its lifespan by up to 30 years, started in March 2020 and is expected to be completed in Summer 2022. 

The Emergency Department project will be delivered by Tilbury Douglas, following a competitive tender under the ProCure22 Framework.  

The ground floor work is being funded from 2021/22 urgent and emergency care central funding and the theatre floor is being funded from Trust capital allocated for service integration.