The first phase of £15m renovation works to upgrade Aintree Hospital's well-known tower block is completed - extending its life by up to 30 years.
The boost to NHS services in Liverpool comes as the 125-foot tall structure, which holds 480 beds, prepares to reach its 50th anniversary in 2021.
The tower block is a city landmark, its 10 floors being visible from miles around, including from the grandstands at Aintree Racecourse.
The renovation works is set to make patients more comfortable, while also protecting the building from the weather.
In addition, the hospital’s main entrance will get a new contemporary look, improving the environment for patients and their visitors.
Last week, the first phase of the work finished and the renovated tower block was officially opened.
The rest of the work, including a new outpatients entrance at the front of the hospital and newly installed glazing and cladding on the tower block, should finish in the summer of 2022.
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.
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 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 marks ten years of BAM being on site since work commenced on the Urgent Care and Trauma Centre in 2011."
As well as housing most of the hospital’s inpatient wards, the Tower Block is home to a dialysis unit, discharge lounge, offices and conference rooms.
It has floor space totalling 16,500 square metres, more than the pitches at Anfield and Goodison combined, and is served by 11 lifts.
Receive newsletters with the latest news, sport and what's on updates from the Liverpool ECHO by signing up here
