WORK is set to begin in a matter of days on a new £671m children's development at the Royal Victoria Hospital.
The ten-floor state-of-the-art facility will have 155 beds, 10 theatres, and an emergency department capable of catering for up to 45,000 children per year.
Eighty per cent of the beds will be in single rooms with private ensuite facilities, and each ward will benefit from social and play spaces, with parent facilities and separate staff areas.
With a five-year construction time-table, the new hospital is projected to be opened by Belfast Health and Social Care Trust at the beginning of the next decade. The construction works are valued at £389million, with the overall development projected to cost £671m.
The works costs will be spread over the five-year construction period and will be funded from the Department of Health capital budget, rather than the separate budget for day-to-day health and social care services.
First Minister Michelle O’Neill said: “Providing high quality care for our sick and seriously ill children is a priority for this Executive. This is very welcome and long-awaited news for families across the north.
"Once completed the new hospital will provide our children and young people with access to the very best medical treatment as well as improving their overall experience of hospital care.
'I look forward to work starting on the hospital within the next few days and the significant benefits it will bring to staff and patients.”
Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly said: “This new Children’s Hospital at the Royal Victoria Hospital will transform services for children in a modern and fit for purpose facility.
"The investment by the Executive in this new hospital is a sign of our commitment to providing the highest quality care for our children. The state-of-the-art facility, equipped with the latest technology and play spaces, and staffed by dedicated professionals, will ensure that children receive the very best treatment in a nurturing and healing environment.
"It is imperative that we improve our healthcare services and drive down health waiting lists. That's why this Executive has made this a priority and we will continue to work closely with the Health Minister on this important work.”
Health Minister Mike Nesbitt added: “This is excellent news for children and parents across Northern Ireland, and for our dedicated health and social care professionals who deliver outstanding care to children and young people. Patients and staff deserve the very best facilities that we can provide and the new Children’s Hospital will be truly world class, a healthcare facility that we can all be proud of."
West Belfast MP Paul Maskey hailed the announcement as a “game-changer” for children and families. “The new hospital, once built, will be transformative for healthcare in the north, and I now look forward to seeing work begin on this exciting project,” he added.
