The first phase of £15m work to rejuvenate Aintree University Hospital, creating a new main entrance and upgrading the Tower Block is complete and officially opened.
Steve Warburton, Chief Executive of Liverpool University Hospital Foundation Trust (LUHFT) was joined by Metro Mayor for Liverpool City Region, Steve Rotheram, who marked the socially distanced event with a ribbon cut.
Access to the entrance has been improved and the renovation has given the hospital a more modern, efficient, and contemporary feel. Patients and staff will also benefit from cleaner, simpler, and safer drop off facilities.
This work is part of the Trust’s commitment to improving patient experience and investing in the quality of healthcare facilities available at the Hospital.
Sculptor, Sam Shendi was commissioned to create an installation for the Trust. The colourful attraction can be seen from the entrance of the hospital and represents a metamorphic journey of change.
The boost to NHS services in Liverpool comes as the 125-foot tall Tower Block, which holds 480 beds, reached its 50th anniversary in 2021.
The work is part of a wider £22.5 million investment programme to refurbish Aintree’s Tower Block and provide improvements to the Emergency Department.
Steve Warburton, Chief Executive of Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Aintree University Hospital, said: “This is the biggest ever single investment in Aintree’s Tower Block and will extend its lifespan by up to 30 years.
“The Tower Block development is great news for our patients and staff. It is also a vote of confidence in the hospital and the vital role it plays for the city region’s NHS services.
“Our staff work hard to provide high-quality care for our patients, and it is important that our buildings support and reflect this.”
Steve Rotheram, Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said:
“As somebody who has represented the area around the hospital, first as a councillor, then a Member of Parliament and now as metro mayor, I’m delighted to be able to cut the ribbon today.
“This £15m investment will give patients and visitors a much friendlier welcome and it’s fantastic to see that it comes with lots of environmental benefits too.”
The construction work is being carried out by BAM Construction. Rob Bailey, BAM Construction Director for the scheme, said: “We are delighted to be working with LUHFT on healthcare improvements for the Trust, the opening today marks ten years of BAM being on site since work commenced on the Urgent Care and Trauma Centre in 2011.
“Our experience in healthcare schemes across the UK is exceptional, and the way we work means that the hospital’s patients and staff will feel involved and informed about what is happening around them. That’s very important to us.”
