Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust takes 'major step forward' as it seeks full planning consent for new hospital
Long-awaited proposals to build a new hospital bringing "enormous benefits" to patients in Leeds are gathering pace, as NHS chiefs prepare to submit a formal application for full planning permission to the council.
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has announced that it has started public engagement to support its application for detailed planning consent of the “essential” new hospital at Leeds General Infirmary, ahead of the next design stage.
Plans to build a new, state-of-the-art hospital at Leeds General Infirmary will include a new home for Leeds Children’s Hospital, a new adults’ hospital and one of the largest, single site maternity centres in the UK.
The healthcare facility would support more than 1.6 million patients from across the region each year, including 200,000 of its youngest patients and will support the delivery of up to 10,000 babies each year.
Health bosses have previously said that they hope to be given the go-ahead for the scheme at in January following a government review of NHS building projects that found the forecast cost of the scheme had risen to £1.46bn.
The Trust secured Outline Planning Consent in 2020 and has cleared a construction site, with a spokesperson adding: “It is one of the most advanced and ready-to-go schemes in the national New Hospital Programme and will now be one of the first Trusts to move forwards to secure full planning consent to deliver its much-needed new hospital for patients in Yorkshire.”
The Government’s outcome of its New Hospital Programme is yet to be announced but in the meantime, the trust says it hopes to secure detailed planning consent.
As part of this a public engagement campaign was launched this week that includes events commencing in January 2025 to provide updates on progress and garner support for the new hospital plans.
A spokesperson said: “Designed to be more sustainable, harnessing the latest technology, and aligned to national standardised design principles, the new hospital will be more efficient and effective to run as well as reducing the Trust’s maintenance backlog.
“The neighbouring Innovation Village, which will be developed alongside the new hospital, will also deliver more than 4,000 new jobs and £13 billion of economic benefit as a go-to destination for research, health tech and digital innovation.”
Prof Phil Wood, Chief Executive of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said: “Our new hospital is essential to continue to support the delivery of our world-class children’s, maternity and adult services and will bring enormous benefits to patients, staff and communities in Yorkshire and beyond.
“Our new hospital will also bring excellent value for public money and, by creating an Innovation Village, will deliver the latest technology to patients’ bedside and bring a huge economic boost to the region.”
He added: “As a Trust, we have been faced with national delays over the past four years which have incurred more than £300m in additional costs to date. These delays have continued to place operational and financial challenges on us and we are keen to mitigate the impact of any further national delays and resulting cost increases where we can.
“We continue to engage with the New Hospital Programme on our plans, which have received strong support from MPs alongside regional and national stakeholders.”
Events will take place in venues across the city with communities invited to attend from January 2025. Further information will be available by visiting the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust webpage.