A NEW maternity suite has opened at Leighton Hospital.
Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has announced the opening of a new theatre suite as part of the hospital’s ongoing commitment to modernising and improving maternity services.
The theatre, connected to Ward 26 – the main birthing facility – will be used for elective surgeries, such as caesarean births, and includes a 63sqm operating room.
Scott Malton, chief nursing officer for the trust, which runs Leighton Hospital, said: “The opening of this new theatre suite is great news, and shows our commitment to improving maternity services.
“Over the past few months, we have invested in our people, recruiting additional members to our midwifery team as well as employing extra members of staff to free up time to enable our midwives to focus on delivering babies and supporting our local mums.
“We have also expanded services, bringing in additional members of staff to support work in our maternity theatres, alongside making improvements within our maternity triage and waiting rooms.”
With the new suite now open, one of the department’s two other operating theatres will undergo mitigation work due to the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) planks in the roof.
Once this is completed, the third theatre will close permanently as the trust says it will no longer be required.
This project is being delivered by the healthcare division of BRG Technologies, ModuleCo, which has been building specialist facilities for the healthcare sector for more than 20 years.
Jonathan Brindley, sales and marketing director at ModuleCo, said: "We are delighted to have worked in partnership with Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to deliver a cutting-edge modular operating theatre suite.
“The trust has invested in a premium surgical facility which has been built to the highest standards in a tightly controlled manufacturing environment and fitted with the latest clinical equipment.
"It will provide the very best working and care environment for their staff and, most importantly, the patients they serve."
Further RAAC mitigation work on the ward will continue in a number of stages, with all work expected to be completed by February 2025.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here