Maternity unit with RAAC set for multi-million pound redevelopment

A hospital building where crumbling concrete was discovered is set to undergo a major redevelopment. In December 2023, Royal Bolton Hospital revealed that it had found reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in the site's maternity unit, causing patients to be removed over fears of safety.

Following the discovery, Bolton NHS Foundation Trust bid for funding from NHS England to remove the dangerous material which was accepted. The £38m pound project is expected to begin in December to refurbish the maternity wards into new, modern and spacious environments.

The hospital’s birthing suite will be fully refurbished to create four brand new, modern birthing rooms with pools. Funding will see the first floor of the unit being removed, a new seven-bed triage area alongside the maternity unit and the ability to adapt the spaces between antenatal and postnatal ward areas to manage demand.

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Women’s health services will also have an upgrade, with both the gynaecology and early pregnancy assessment areas being fully refurbished as part of the development.

Tyrone Roberts, chief nursing officer at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, said: “For nearly fifty years the Princess Anne Maternity Unit has played a significant part in the lives of families. However, a lot has changed in that time and we want to make sure our services reflect the modern standards people expect, and to be even better for families in the future.

“We have one of the busiest maternity units in the region, and this multi-million pound investment will allow us to completely transform the space we currently have, creating an environment that is better suited to those who use it and features the latest advancements in healthcare to enhance safety and experience.

“We know a lot of families will have made very precious memories here and we’ll be sharing details soon about how you can be a part of capturing that history, as well as joining us to celebrate the start of an exciting next chapter.”

Bolton NHS Foundation Trust bid for funding from NHS England following the identification of RAAC in the maternity unit in December 2023.

Since then, the Trust has taken measures to move maternity services away from the affected areas to allow the areas to be propped for safety, with women’s services operating from new locations at the hospital and at Lever Chambers Centre for Health.

Annette Walker, chief finance officer at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, added: “We’re really pleased to have been awarded £38m funding from NHS England which will allow us to significantly redevelop our maternity unit.

“Ahead of work starting, we’ll be speaking to both staff and service users to understand what they need from the unit so that we can deliver high quality care in a modern space for years to come.

“There will be a series of engagement events over the next few weeks and I would encourage people to come along and be a part of creating something really exciting. Our staff are our biggest asset and we’ll be drawing upon their wealth of experience to understand what changes will make the most difference.”