It may have at times felt like this day would never come, but today patients and staff members were delighted to finally move into the new Royal Liverpool Hospital.
Today was the first day that patients were welcomed into the new hospital, which was originally supposed to open to the public in 2017. The build has been beset by delays and issues including the collapse of construction firm Carillion.
The Liverpool University Hospitals Trust is now moving staff, equipment and patients from the crumbling old hospital building into the new, state-of-the-art site.
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One of those first patients, Anne O'Keeffe from the Wirral said: "I didn't realise I would be taken over to the new site, but a lovely volunteer brought me here. I had been in the old building previously watching it get built. I have only just come in but it looks really nice and clean."
There was a real buzz amongst staff members who have been waiting years to move into the new hospital. Barry Scott, deputy head of Operations (Therapy), said: "It has been a long journey but today has finally arrived and there is a real buzz in the atmosphere. We have welcomed our first patients to outpatients therapies, it is a great day.
"It has been challenging, there have been delays along the way. We knew we were moving and staff have been really excited and here we are today."
Clare Collie, head of outpatient therapy added: "It is such a difference, the patients are excited - I think the first patients coming through the door were proud to be first. It is just lovely seeing them starting to access this new building that we have been working so hard to get ready."
"The big thing for me is just the light. The old building could feel very dark, this whole space feels bright and airy, there are very few spaces where you can't see outside. So it is the space, the light and the new technology in this hospital, we are ready to go to deliver first class healthcare here."
More than 360 patients are expected through the doors of the hospital today and outpatient clinics will continue to operate throughout the week at the new hospital.
James Sumner, Chief Executive at Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Today is a real milestone for the new Royal as we welcome our first outpatients to Liverpool’s new state-of-the-art hospital.
“The new Royal is for the people of Liverpool and the city region and we are so proud that we can start to give our patients, staff and local communities the long-awaited hospital they deserve.”
In order to allow patients time to familiarise themselves with their new hospital, outpatients will operate at a reduced capacity that will increase in stages over the next four weeks, with appointments being allocated according to clinical priority.
The outpatients department is located across the ground and lower ground floors of the new hospital, and these patients will be the first to use the new digital check-in which has been designed to speed up the appointment process.
The hospital is undertaking a phased 24 day move from the current Royal, which started on Wednesday September 28, and the first inpatients will be transferred to the hospital on Monday October 10.
During the move, staff and volunteers will be on hand to assist with any queries or wayfinding around the new building. People are being asked to continue using the A&E department at the old Royal until later this month when the service transfers to the new building.
Health Minister Nick Markham said: “From today, patients will benefit from the new state-of-the-art outpatient facilities at the newly opened new Royal Liverpool University Hospital. Not only will this hospital improve care for patients across the city, staff will also be able to access specialist medical equipment and a world-leading research facility.
“We are committed to improving health infrastructure across the country and this is part of the biggest hospital building programme in a generation, which we will deliver by 2030.
“The Health and Social Care Secretary has been cleared that we will deliver for patients across the country and set out her ABCD priorities – ambulances, backlogs, care, doctors and dentists.”
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