Patients Move Into New Alder Hey Hospital

A hand-over ceremony to mark the completion of the new £237m Alder Hey Children's Hospital took place today.

The children who will be cared for at the new hospital, and who played an important part in shaping the design of the building, played a key role in the grand unveiling. They led tours of the building for regional journalists and other special guests.

The new hospital will care for more than 275,000 children each year and is the first NHS health park for children in the UK. It provides 270 beds, including 48 critical care beds for patients in ICU, HDU and Burns, together with 16 digitally enhanced operating theatres. The majority of patients will have private, en suite rooms.

Alder Hey is Europe’s only hospital in a park and the unique design of the building will provide a pleasant healing environment for children and young people. Almost all bedrooms have park views and within the building’s striking atrium space is an indoor tree house that provides a play and relaxation space for the children being treated at the hospital.

During the opening event, Louise Shepherd, chief executive of Alder Hey, said: “From the beginning we’ve strived to create a world-class healing environment that will benefit children and young people from across the UK and throughout the world. This was an opportunity to create something really special for our patients, families and staff – a dedicated healthcare facility providing the very best treatment and care to thousands of children and young people.”

Among the patients moving into the new hospital is 13-year-old Holly Kesteven, who was rushed to Alder Hey last year with a brain abscess. She said: “I’m really excited to see what the hospital looks like. I’ve heard about some fun things including a chef on the ward and that you can play outside on the ward, which is brilliant. My doctor also said he will have better equipment to help children like me get better.”

Andy Thomson, project director for Laing O'Rourke, said: “Today we hand-over a ground-breaking new hospital to the medical team and children who have been our partners in delivering this unique project. Over the past two and a half years a dedicated, talented Laing O’Rourke project team has worked together with Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, the Trust project team, our partners in the Acorn consortium, the Young People’s Design Group and the local community to create a truly outstanding building in the quickest time on record in the healthcare sector. We’re incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved together and excited to have been part of this once in a generation opportunity to transform healthcare for the inspirational young people who use this hospital.”