The Senior Responsible Owner for the national New Hospital Programme (NHP), Natalie Forrest, has visited North Manchester General Hospital (NMGH) to see the initial site development work and discuss the next steps for the hospital transformation programme.
NMGH is one of eight Pathfinder hospitals being built through the NHP. The new health campus will be at the heart of the community, with joined-up health and social care facilities, high-quality new homes, access to better education and training, and more inviting open spaces.
The government is committed to delivering 48 hospitals across England by 2030, backed by an initial £3.7 billion of investment. These will provide better care for patients, an improved working environment for staff and help the NHS reach its net zero carbon ambition.
NMGH is part of Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT), and MFT colleagues welcomed Ms Forrest and her team and outlined the exciting potential of the hospital redevelopment and the benefits it will bring for the local community.
During a walk around the site, Ms Forrest and her team were shown the enabling work already underway. This work includes modular accommodation for staff relocating from buildings due to be demolished, and progress on construction of a new Multi-Storey Car Park and Cycle Hub.
Jenny Ehrhardt, MFT’s Group Chief Finance Officer and Senior Responsible Officer for the hospital redevelopment, said:
“We were delighted to welcome Natalie and her colleagues, and outline how our ambitious plans for NMGH will help to transform both the local community and the wider city of Manchester. Combining outstanding health and care services with economic regeneration opportunities will make a huge difference to the health, wellbeing and prosperity of local people.
“Working closely with the NHP team to design and deliver our new hospital campus will also enable us to share best practice and gain value for money across the wider programme.”
Natalie Forrest added: “I was delighted to meet with the team at North Manchester, alongside my colleagues from the New Hospital Programme, to discuss plans for the new hospital and view the work already underway on this exciting project. Our aim at the New Hospital Programme is to transform the delivery of healthcare infrastructure, sharing best practice across the programme to deliver state-of-the-art facilities for staff and patients. I look forward to continuing our close work with Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust as the new hospital scheme progresses.”