As work progresses on a brand new four-storey development at the Royal Albert Edward Infirmary (RAEI), MP for Wigan and newly appointed Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Lisa Nandy, was given a short tour of the build.
The development, which will be home to Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s (WWL) new endoscopy services at RAEI, will provide quicker access to endoscopy procedures, ultimately leading to better outcomes for patients, as well as an improved environment for both patients and staff.
It is due to be complete by Summer next year and construction plans have been carefully designed to ensure that current endoscopy services continue to be delivered while the work is undertaken. In total, £14.5m is being invested into endoscopy services across WWL’s RAEI and Leigh Infirmary sites.
At the RAEI, the development will support the expansion and reconfiguration of the endoscopy unit, which was built nearly 20 years ago, to provide facilities that meet the requirements for modern service delivery. This will ensure that patients will be receiving the highest possible standards of care, with improvements in privacy and dignity, increased patient choice, and more timely appointments.
Alongside the doubling of the number of endoscopy rooms at Leigh Infirmary, the investment into endoscopy services at both sites will help to improve waiting times for procedures and support earlier diagnosis of conditions, including bowel cancer, and other gastrointestinal diseases. With one treatment room at Leigh already accepting patients, the two remaining rooms are due to be finished this Autumn.
Welcoming Ms Nandy to RAEI, WWL Chair, Mark Jones commented: “This is an exciting time, not just for WWL, but for the whole of the Wigan Borough as we continue to invest in our services. With this new development and its state-of-the-art treatment facilities we will provide quicker access to endoscopy procedures, ultimately leading to better outcomes for patients.
“It has been an honour to welcome Ms Nandy to tour the site and discuss how we are going to continue to deliver high-quality care for our patients. I am certainly looking forward to seeing how the development progresses over the coming months.”
Commenting during the visit, Ms Nandy said: “I would like to say thank you for everything you do for the people in our Borough.
“Every time I visit here, there is something innovative happening and I really appreciate the creativity, passion and energy you give to improve healthcare for the people of Wigan and beyond. There are lots of challenges throughout the healthcare system, but it is important to recognise people who work behind the scenes who allow frontline staff to do their jobs.”
It is also hoped this development will contribute to our JAG accreditation compliance, demonstrating a high quality, safe and appropriate endoscopy services, delivered by a highly trained, highly supported and highly motivated workforce.