Leighton Hospital

Built at a cost of £6 million, Leighton Hospital was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II in May 1972.[1] It replaced older facilities at Crewe District Memorial Hospital,[2] Crewe Works Hospital (built by the London and North Western Railway Company),[3] the Linden Grange Maternity Hospital[4] and Coppenhall Hospital in Crewe, and Nantwich Cottage Hospital and the Barony Hospital in Nantwich.[5]

Following an inspection in March 2018 the hospital was rated "good" by the Care Quality Commission[6] and in June 2018 the hospital was recognised with a national award for patient experience.[7]

In September 2021, a bid was submitted to the Department of Health and Social Care to fund a £663 million redevelopment of the hospital. Materials used in its original construction, particularly reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) panels in the roof and walls, had resulted in significant spending to resolve safety risks. A new build was estimated to be around £100 million cheaper than the continued refurbishment.[8] On 25 May 2023 it was confirmed that the hospital would therefore be rebuilt.[9] The Guardian newspaper noted that a 2020 proposal to rebuilt Leighton Hospital was not funded by HM Treasury during Rishi Sunak's term as Chancellor of the Exchequer, despite a "catastrophic" grade of risk and a warning that an incident was "likely".[10]

• List of hospitals in England

• Leighton Hospital NHS Choices
• Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Website
• Hospital webpage