The case for the new Royal Hospital

The Appointment Business Case for the new Royal has been approved by the Department of Health.

It is now available to view on the Trust’s website – www.rlbuht.nhs.uk

This is the first time since the publication of the Outline Business Case in 2010 that the Trust’s business plan will be made available to the public. The appointment business case (ABC) has been highly scrutinised by local healthcare commissioners, government officials and independent organisations. It outlines in detail why the new hospital is required, how the hospital will be paid for and also how the Trust will provide healthcare in the future.

Helen Jackson, director of strategy and redevelopment said: “Since 2010 we have worked hard to reduce the cost of the project, in particular the cost of repayments to a private finance partner for the private finance initiative (PFI). We expect to secure £89m from the European Investment Bank, which together with £94m from the Department of Health and other funding will mean around three quarters of the project will be publicly funded. This has enabled us to reduce the PFI payments from £34.3m a year to £21.9m, which is equivalent to less than 6% of annual turnover.”

The new Royal will provide patients and visitors with a completely different environment to the current hospital. It will be the centre for emergency, urgent and specialist care. Patients will come to the new Royal with serious conditions and will be cared for on wards with all single rooms and ensuite facilities. Visitors will be able to park on the hospital site, walk straight into hospital and will be able to find the ward they want to visit much easier due to a much simpler layout.

Each of the rooms will have windows from ceiling to bed level and work stations located close to the rooms so that medical staff can keep patients under close supervision. They will be equipped with the latest technology such as motion sensors to detect sudden movements such as a patient getting out of bed, as well as intercom systems and call alarms for patients to contact staff. As well as ensuite facilities each room will be fitted with freeview TV and internet facilities to provide patients with greater home comforts. There will also be day rooms on each of the wards so that patients are able to mix with each other if they wish to.

“With the measures we will put into place for the new hospital,’ said Helen Jackson, “We expect that most people will have short stays in the new Royal of up to five days, except some specialist wards. After which they should be fit enough to be discharged home or to a community care provider, or if they require a longer hospital stay they can be transferred to Broadgreen Hospital, which will be the centre for rehabilitation and planned treatment.”

Aidan Kehoe, chief executive said: “The ABC outlines our future vision of healthcare for the people of Liverpool. We will have a state of the art new hospital and working in partnership with other healthcare providers such as the Liverpool Clinical Commissioning Group and Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust, we will have the world class facilities we need to tackle the high rates of cancer and other the serious health problems that we face in this city.’

‘In addition the construction of the new Royal will bring £240m of investment into the city and it will create hundreds of jobs during construction. The BioCampus will create up to 5,000 hi-tech jobs with a once in a life time opportunity to change the face of the local economy by putting Liverpool onto the world stage of the multi-billion pound health and life science industry.

‘Gaining approval of the appointment business case is another huge step forward for the new Royal and we are proud to be able to now share our plans with the people of Liverpool.”

Following publication of the ABC the Trust will be taking questions from the public via Twitter. To join in follow @RoyalLpoolHosps or #newRoyal.

What they Say

The Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson, said: “This is a very welcome move forward. The new Royal is a hugely important development for Liverpool, not only because it is replacing an outdated hospital with a superb new facility which will provide first-class levels of care but it is also key to the regeneration of the area and the future of the city. Hundreds of jobs will be created during its construction and when it is completed the Royal Hospital will be at the heart of the new Bio-Campus. This will create 5,000 high tech, well paid jobs and help make Liverpool a world leader in the field of life sciences.”

The Lord Mayor of Liverpool, Councillor Gary Millar, said; “The business case sets out why the new Royal Hospital and bio-campus are so important to Liverpool. They will make us leading city in so many respects – from the level of care which will be provided to being a world leader in life sciences. The development of the Knowledge Quarter is vital to the future prosperity of the city and the new Royal is a key element in that Quarter.”

Councillor Roz Gladden, Liverpool City Council cabinet member for adult social care and health, said:”This is an important step in the creation of a world-class hospital for Liverpool. The new Royal will be a state-of-art hospital which will provide the highest levels of care and the plans for it have gained a wide level of support throughout the city. I believe that it is a vitally important development in delivering the quality of health care which our citizens deserve and need.”

Robert Hough, Chair, Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) said:
“This marks another critical milestone in this project. It is of vital importance to the City Region in terms of both healthcare and the depth and sheer quality of the biomedical opportunities. Our ambition now is to help grow the Biosciences sector in the region and retain established talent. Achieving both forms a significant part of our shared commitment to develop the Knowledge Economy in the City Region.”

Dr Nadim Fazlani, Chair of Liverpool Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) said: “The new Royal will be a tremendous asset for Liverpool, both in terms of the facilities it will offer patients and the associated benefits it will have for the city’s research capability. Crucially, it is an opportunity to design a state-of-the-art building around the needs of modern healthcare, which have changed dramatically in the time since the current hospital was built. Liverpool faces significant health challenges and over the coming years all organisations delivering NHS care locally will be working together to improve the health of our population and ensure that we can offer the high-quality services that the city needs. The new Royal reflects this drive towards a local NHS which delivers the very best care for the people of Liverpool, both now and in the future.”

Louise Ellman MP for Liverpool Riverside said: “I welcome this very important milestone achieved after so many years of campaigning. The new hospital will bring improved health facilities helping to narrow the ten and an half year gap in the life expectancy between people in Liverpool and those in more prosperous areas. The new Bio campus, expanding one of Liverpool’s growing sectors, will be a major step forward in Liverpool’s regeneration; putting Liverpool on the world stage for life sciences and bringing 5,000 hi-tech jobs.”

Central Ward Councillor and Cabinet Member for Employment, Enterprise and  Skills Nick Small said: “I’ve been campaigning with residents living in Central Liverpool for 10 years for a new Royal Liverpool University Hospital. The part of the city I represent has high early death rates and many residents living with long-term health conditions. Investment in a new Royal will significantly improve the health outcomes, quality of life and life chances for the residents I represent. But the new Royal is much, much more than this. The economic impact the new Royal will have kickstarting new investment in to Liverpool Bio Campus and wider Knowledge Quarter cannot be underestimated. This is one of the city’s brightest opportunities to transform our economic prospects and it’s all about creating linkages between clinicians, academic researchers and business. I’m also very proud of the partnership between the Trust, its contractor Carillion and the City Council on construction. Building the new Royal will create 750 new construction jobs and 75-100 apprenticeships. We’re committed to getting local people, especially those living in those communities with the highest levels of unemployment, back to work and the new Royal is a great opportunity to do just that.”

Steve Rotheram MP for Walton said: “The National Health Service continues to be the envy of the world and provide first-class patient care, free at the point of use to over 64 million people in Britain today. In order to ensure that we continue to provide the patient care that the people of Liverpool deserve, it is vital that we continue to strengthen and modernize our local health sector in order to ensure we have world class hospitals and world class services. The New Royal Hospital will provide the city with 750 new construction jobs and 100 new apprenticeships. The development is also estimated to contribute £240 million to the local Liverpool Economy.

Modernising our NHS is a key component for the future of our city, our country and our economy. With the development of the Liverpool Bio-Campus, we will begin a new chapter which will see Liverpool recognised as a world leader in the life sciences and the creation of over 5,000 new hi-tech jobs. The campus will attract inward investment and bring leading scientists to Liverpool to play their part in this exciting new venture. Liverpool has led the world in harnessing the economic and cultural benefits of the Arts and creative Industries in recent years and I am delighted that we are now set to add modern science and innovation to the City’s international offer.”

 

Liverpool Waterfront