New hospital for Lancaster to transform south side of city
The south side of Lancaster will be transformed if plans to build a new hospital to replace Royal Lancaster Infirmary proceed.
A proposed site for the replacement Royal Lancaster Infirmary is Bailrigg East, situated in close proximity to Lancaster University.
Aaron Cummins, Chief Executive of University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust, said: “A new hospital on a new site in Lancaster will allow us to fully address the significant problems that we face with the current ageing buildings at Royal Lancaster Infirmary and will bring huge benefits to our communities and to the wider economy.
“We have the opportunity to create a legacy, with a hospital specifically designed for the needs of our population, improving their experience and giving them the best clinical care. We additionally have significant ambitions to create facilities that are digitally innovative, much more cost effective, and with a reduced carbon footprint.”
Health Innovation campus at Lancaster University
The local NHS now wants to hear from patients, residents, colleagues and stakeholders about what a new hospital will mean for them and how the move to a new hospital site might impact them. People will be invited to have their say through a series of public events as well as through a survey, details of which will be shared in the new year.
The 94-acre greenfield site has been sold to the NHS and earmarked as the proposed new location for the hospital. Savills sold the site on behalf of a private landowner client.
Lancaster’s MP Cat Smith said the wider benefits for the city would go beyond healthcare. “The Royal Lancaster Infirmary was a Victorian masterpiece, but it’s no longer fit for the demands of the 21st century. A new-build hospital will not only transform healthcare delivery but will also bring significant economic benefits across the district and beyond,” she said.
National law firm Mills and Reeve has acted for the landowners for several years and provided legal advice on the sale. Caroline Hanratty, real estate partner, said: “It’s a great result for our clients and a great result for the people of Lancaster.”
Simon Douglas, development director at Savills who sold the land to the NHS on behalf of a private landowner client, said: “This is, without question, one of the most satisfying deals I have ever completed on behalf of a client. Some years back, we sold a neighbouring parcel of land to Lancaster University which has become a renowned health innovation centre. To now complete on this deal, which will position Royal Lancaster Infirmary right on the doorstep of this campus, is not only fantastic news for the area and the local economy, but wonderful for UK and global health innovation generally.”
The NHS has said it is open to other sites being suggested, which would be subject to the same comprehensive review as the proposed sites.
The existing Royal Lancaster Infirmary site will remain in place and deliver services until new hospital facilities are opened. The local NHS will continue to keep communities involved and provide further updates throughout the process.
The listed main hospital building will likely become available for development. Two previous hospitals in the city have been converted, one into apartments, another into a religious college.
