Following overwhelming public support for proposals to transform hospital sites in North Manchester and Wythenshawe, Manchester City Council Executive has endorsed the plans.
The Strategic Regeneration Frameworks (SRF) for North Manchester General Hospital (NMGH) and Wythenshawe Hospital contain an ambitious vision to create two new sustainable health campuses located at the heart of their communities.
Alongside connected health and social care facilities, each campus will offer high quality new homes and green travel options, plus access to education and training opportunities alongside more inviting public open spaces.
The redevelopment programmes will also bring wider benefits for local communities: creating new jobs, promoting healthy lifestyles, developing skills and contributing to a zero-carbon environment for the benefit of local neighbourhoods and the wider city.
Manchester City Council, Manchester Health and Care Commissioning and Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust have been working together on the vision for the NMGH campus (image above), and with property company Bruntwood on the redevelopment plans for the Wythenshawe Hospital site (pictured below).
The NMGH redevelopment is one of eight hospital rebuilding projects identified to receive funding under the government’s New Hospitals Programme for England. It has already been allocated £54m for site preparation work. Work will also begin to secure funding for the Wythenshawe Hospital redevelopment programme.
Welcoming the City Council’s formal endorsement of the plans, Sir Michael Deegan, Chief Executive of Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Both these ambitious projects will be transformational for their local communities and the wider city of Manchester. We are committed to improving the health, wellbeing and prosperity of residents by delivering outstanding health and care services alongside economic regeneration opportunities.”
Sir Richard Leese, Leader of Manchester City Council, said: “These projects have phenomenal scope – the hospital element is vital, but they also go beyond that into opportunities for training, education, local jobs, green spaces, community facilities and new homes for people too.”
Ian Williamson, Chief Accountable Officer at Manchester Health and Care Commissioning, added: “This announcement is another step forward towards our joint vision of modern, exciting healthcare and other facilities in the heart of Manchester communities. They will bring benefits to patients and residents from near and far. Great thanks are due to everyone for the work so far, and we will see these plans through to completion together.”