After a longstanding campaign, I strongly welcome the Government’s new commitment to rebuild Leighton Hospital by 2030 as part of its New Hospital Programme, backed by more than £20 billion of rolling investment in hospital infrastructure.

Leighton Hospital has looked after the health of our Eddisbury community for more than 50 years, including delivering all four of my own children!

But, as fantastic as the people who work there are, the buildings themselves desperately need renewing to enable staff to continue providing excellent healthcare for years to come.

Leighton is one of five hospitals constructed primarily using aged and weakened reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC). In the immediate term, the Government is focussing on making these hospitals structurally sound.

This is why last week’s announcement that Leighton will be given a new lease of life by way of a complete rebuild – off the back of a joint effort by Cheshire Conservative MPs in Parliament – is so crucial to protecting patient and staff safety, and is a testament to all the hard work that has gone into making the case for this massive boost to our local hospital.

The New Hospital Programme will see the building of common clinical departments – including in-patient wards, accident and emergency departments, operating theatre blocks, and maternity services – and the scale and predictability of our needs will encourage investment in new capabilities, driving economic growth, and creating new high-skill jobs across the UK.

With the experience of those who will use these hospitals placed at the heart of the programme, the Department of Health continues to progress its delivery of facilities for staff and patients at the cutting edge of modern design and technology, creating single rooms that ensure maximum natural light and access to outdoor spaces.

This approach will also help to reduce the workload of NHS staff by deploying digital solutions, well-designed flow, and designated areas for staff rest and recuperation.

The current construction market cannot deliver all New Hospital Programme schemes if the Government takes a localised, siloed approach. Therefore, it intends to work with the construction industry to build delivery capacity whilst learning the lessons from previous hospital projects – to avoid delays and cost increases during construction.

The rebuilding of three mental health hospitals also forms part of this commitment: to eradicate dormitory accommodation from mental health facilities across the country, and put mental health on an equal footing to physical health. This will include a £150 million investment in better mental health facilities linked to A&E, and enhancing patient safety in mental health units.

As we approach the 75th anniversary of our fantastic NHS, this winning extra investment in Leighton will ensure our local hospital can care for patients for decades to come, and help cut waiting lists so that Cheshire residents get the treatment they need, when they need it – something we can all welcome.