Sajid Javid has issued an update on when the new Royal Liverpool Hospital is set to open.
The Health Secretary visited the hospital today to look at a new robotics surgery unit. However, the pioneering technology is currently set up in the old building as the new facility remains unfinished, five years after it was originally planned to open in 2017.
The new Royal Liverpool Hospital has been hit by a series of delays following the collapse of original contractor Carillion. NHS Trust bosses have previously said the opening was expected in the autumn, but Mr Javid indicated the project could now be on track to open as early as September. He told the ECHO: "The move will start next month and then by September, patients will start entering and staff will start using the new hospital."
The ECHO understands moving may not begin quite as soon as July, but that an autumn opening remains on track.
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Construction on the new Royal Liverpool Hospital initially started in 2014 and Mr Javid assured it will still boast "state-of-the art facilities". He said: "It's over 600 acute beds, it's one of the largest acute hospitals in the country. Almost every room, I've been told, is an en-suite room. I think it's the hospitals that we need in the future.
"We've all gone through this horrible pandemic and it's been especially challenging for the NHS. But we learned lessons of how we can protect ourselves against future pandemics and I think the way this hospital is constructed means it's looking forward to the future."
The government faced criticism when the delayed Royal Liverpool Hospital was included as part of the Levelling Up advertising campaign in March. People accused the government of " gaslighting the city " when a sign, which carried HM government branding, stated: "Levelling up means a new Royal Liverpool Hospital."
Mr Javid addressed the criticism today and claimed people are "welcoming the new investment". He told the ECHO: "Every one knows why the project was delayed and it was upsetting to see when Carillion went bust, but it is now on track and I'm very excited about it."
Mr Javid viewed the robotics unit and a laboratory in the new Royal Liverpool hospital during his visit today. The new technologies will lead to faster recovery times for patients and less risk of infection.
The Health Secretary heaped praise on staff at the facilities for embracing the new methods. He added: "I was incredibly impressed by what I have seen and heard. Liverpool hospital is leading the way in this and it is exactly what I want to see more of across the country."
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